Film

Strays

Name: Strays
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Released: 2023
Cast: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Will Forte

Buddy comedy

A dog-buddy comedy with real bite. Reggie the golden retriever is abandoned and falls in with Bug, a scrappy street dog who opens his eyes to what his owner really is. It's funny and surprisingly moving—a film about recognizing toxicity wrapped in vulgar wisecracks and genuine heart. For anyone who loves animals *and* doesn't mind them swearing.

TMDb rating

3.6

If you liked this

One Hundred and One Dalmatians1961

A Disney classic that finds humour and stakes in the dog's perspective. Pongo and Perdita are competent, clever, and entirely themselves—the humans are almost irrelevant. Pure pleasure and genuine peril.

But The animation is beautiful but static compared to modern work. Some may find it slow after a few decades of faster editing.

The Beverly Hillbillies1993

Jim Varney and Diedrich Bader revel in working-class chaos. It's broad and unapologetic about lowbrow comedy. The film commits fully to its own absurdity, which is bracing in its refusal to wink.

But That commitment to broadness will feel exhausting if you prefer subtlety. The humour lands the same joke repeatedly, which works or doesn't depending on your tolerance.

Lady and the Tramp1955

An earlier film about a dog learning to see beyond her gilded cage and the streetwise dog who shows her how. Romance, adventure, class commentary—all treated with warmth and genuine narrative weight.

But The animation is lovely but occasionally creaky. The romance follows familiar beats, and the ending is entirely predictable.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Strays

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Plague Dogs1982

Both are about dogs realizing their relationship to human ownership; Plague Dogs simply asks whether escape into freedom is even possible or just another cage.

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The Incredible Journey1963

Two dogs and a cat trek across Canadian wilderness to find their family. It takes its animal characters seriously as protagonists with real stakes. The survival elements have genuine tension without becoming graphic.

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Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey1993

The live-action remake adds narrative drive and personality. It's warm without being saccharine, and the relationship between the animals feels earned. Michael J. Fox and Sally Field's narration adds charm without overdoing it.

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Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey poster

All Dogs Go to Heaven1989

An irreverent animated film about a dog who gets a second chance at life and redemption. It's weird and sincere at once, with genuine stakes and a dog protagonist who's genuinely flawed and complicated.

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Roadside Prophets1992

A quirky road movie with David Arquette and Adam Horovitz as mismatched travellers. It's genuinely strange—funny in unexpected ways, sad in others. The friendship between the leads is real and grounded despite the weirdness.

But Decidedly a product of its moment, which means 90s indie affectation may grate. It's also quite slow and doesn't have much plot to carry you through the meandering.

Shaun the Sheep Movie2015

Wordless stop-motion comedy about a sheep and his flock. It's clever and genuinely funny, told entirely through visual storytelling. The characters are expressive and real, and the humour lands across all ages without condescension.

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In the Realm of the Senses1976

Both examine toxic attachment and the moment someone wakes up to how little they matter to someone they loved. One finds humour in that recognition; the other finds tragedy. Opposite registers, same core recognition.

A shocking, explicit film about obsession and the body. Shot with unflinching clarity, it's as much about loss and abandonment as it is about desire. Extraordinary filmmaking that refuses to look away from its own subject.

But Explicit and confronting. The sex and violence are not titillating—they're meant to disturb. This is not for casual viewing, and it's not made for comfort. It also requires patience with a slow-burn structure.

Watership Down1978

Both begin with a protagonist who must unlearn dependency and learn to see clearly. Watership Down does it through epic adventure; Strays does it through urban comedy. Same journey, radically different tone and scope.

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