Brad Pitt & David Ayer's New Survival Thriller Officially Sets All-Time Rotten Tomatoes Record

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Brad Pitt and David Ayer's new survival thriller is officially the must-watch movie of the year.

As the two collaborators mark their reunion twelve years after Fury's release, they set their sights on a new thriller, Heart of the Beast. After a plane crash, an army veteran, James Belmont (Pitt), and his dog Odin (Uber) have an incredible bond as they attempt to survive in the dangerous Alaskan wilderness under extreme conditions. Now, ahead of its release, the first reviews are in, and it's clear where most critics stand on the new survival thriller.

Heart of the Beast sets a record as Pitt's highest-rated starring movie with a strong 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. That score just slightly beats out 2013's 12 Years a Slave (95%), in which he had a supporting role. Meanwhile, the thriller outranks plenty of Pitt's greatest films like Moneyball (94%), True Romance (93%), and The Big Short (89%). He has movies that scored higher than 96%, but only in an executive producing role.

Additionally, Heart of the Beast is officially Ayer's highest-rated movie, obliterating the 14-year record held by End of Watch (85%). The score is subject to change, with just 24 reviews so far, but the reception looks near-unanimously positive ahead of its release.

Brad Pitt's 5 Highest-Rated Starring Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score	Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Heart of the Beast (2026)	96%	N/A
12 Years a Slave (2013)	95%	90%
Moneyball (2011)	94%	86%
True Romance (1993)	93%	93%
The Big Short (2015)	89%	88%

Many critics agree that Heart of the Beast is an intense, yet emotional story that showcases a loving bond between a veteran and his dog, powered by the performance from the German Shepherd Uber. Despite a few mixed reviews of the melodramatic tone and the ending, Pitt and Ayer's new movie delivers one of the biggest tearjerkers of 2026.

In ScreenRant's review of Heart of the Beast, Alexander Harrison admits that the movie takes "a couple storytelling shortcuts," but "once it really gets going, becomes and stays involving, eventually reaching an emotional crescendo that still hits hard." The performances also "give the relationship proper texture," especially Odin, who brings a "strong, soulful presence."

Heart of the Beast eventually sticks the landing as "confirmed by its ending, which is played straight down the middle and hits like a sledgehammer," and enough to earn a 6 out of 10 stars for the "well-earned cathartic release."

Ayer and Pitt are producers, while Cameron Alexander wrote the story, which was on the 2017 Black List as one of the "most liked" unproduced screenplays. The supporting cast includes J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe.

Heart of the Beast will release in theaters on September 25, 2026.