Brad Pitt & David Ayer's Survival Thriller Sets Rotten Tomatoes Score Audience Record

Published Sep 25, 2026, 2:59 PM EDT Fariba Rezwan is a Lead Editor for the Movie News team. She has been with ScreenRant for nearly five years, with roles ranging from list editor to junior news editor. During that time, Fariba has led coverage for breaking movies and TV news, including Hunger Games, Marvel, and streaming. Additionally, she has actively provided commentary and reactions to the biggest movies and shows on her YouTube channel, The Movieception Show. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Brad Pitt and David Ayer's Heart of the Beast is officially a tearjerker. The two producers reunited 14 years after Fury with a new survival thriller that follows the emotional bond between a retired Special Forces veteran and his dog after their plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. Reviews for Heart of the Beast were very positive, and the 88% Rotten Tomatoes score made it one of the best for Pitt and Ayer's careers. However, the most important voices are audiences, and with the movie now in theaters, the verdict is near unanimous. With over 100 ratings so far, Heart of the Beast debuts to an incredible 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Firstly, that beats The Beekeeper (92%) as Ayer's best audience rating of his career. Meanwhile, Heart of the Beast falls short of F1 The Movie (97%) but ties with Pitt's Fight Club as his second-highest audience score. The thriller also surpassed hits like Se7en (95%) and Snatch (93%). Critics and audiences agreed that Heart of the Beast is easily one of the most heart-wrenching movies of 2026. The thriller delivers a survival tale between the man-dog pair, powered by the performances of the loyal, three-legged Odin and Pitt, who is the quiet yet determined lead. Brad Pitt's Starring Movies Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score F1 The Movie (2013) 82% 97% Heart of the Beast (2026) 88% 96% Fight Club (1999) 81% 96% Se7en (1995) 84% 95% Snatch (2000) 74% 93% True Romance (1993) 93% 93% Meanwhile, Ayer's direction is also praised for highlighting the scenic wilderness amid the harsh conditions. Despite gripes over the uneven pacing, the story's emotional weight overcomes those flaws, with many viewers warning to bring tissues. With Heart of the Beast facing heavy competition against Primetime, Forgotten Island, and Avengers: Endgame Encore, word-of-mouth could help its box office potential. According to Variety, projections indicate anywhere from a $17 million to $20 million debut against an $82 million budget. Meanwhile, Pitt's 2026 movie slate isn't done just yet. In two months, he will reprise his Oscar-winning role of Cliff Booth in the Netflix sequel The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth. The movie will first release in select theaters on November 25, before going to streaming a month later on December 23. Pitt and David Fincher reunite for the fourth time after Fight Club, Se7en, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Alongside Pitt, Heart of the Beast's cast also features J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe in supporting roles. Cameron Alexander wrote the script, while Pitt and Ayer were co-producing with Olivia Hamilton, Marty Bowen, Richard Raymond, and Nick Satriano. Heart of the Beast is now playing in theaters. Release Date September 25, 2026 Runtime 101 Minutes Director David Ayer Writers Cameron Alexander Producers David Ayer, Marty Bowen, Olivia Hamilton, Brad Pitt Cast