(Benedict Cumberbatch as a cowboy?! You have to suspend disbelief to even enter this world.) This plodding, painfully bleak story depends on you being invested in saving Rose. I think that was its first failure for me. I wasn’t drawn to Roses plight, or any other character, despite the stellar cast. They were all black and white cardboard cutouts. There was peril but no suspense or thrill. The title is a puzzle with a cryptic clue in the final scripture verse. But it doesn’t take a biblical scholar to see the allegory, it is pretty straightforward. Identify the dog of the story, then the power that the dog has, and then watch how his power is turned against him. [spoiler] Phil is the dog, his power is gained by finding a person’s weaknesses and destroying them with it, Peter sees Phil’s weakness and exploits it to save his mother from being destroyed by Phil. [/spoiler]. I think the film wants to lull us into believing there is something profound afoot here. There wasn’t. There was no arch, just a steady, depressing slope. Critics will love this film if they buy into this being unique or having a profound bent. I give this film a 5 (meh) out of 10. [Western]