Jacob Elordi on why The Dog Stars had him asking ‘What am I missing’ in life?

A devastating pandemic, environmental destruction and a depleted society reduced to anarchy are the themes at play in Sir Ridley Scott’s latest film The Dog Stars.

Based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel of the same name, the stars of the sci-fi film say they hope its themes will makes viewers question the parts of their lives they take for granted.

Jacob Elordi stars as the lead character, Hig, a former mechanic turned pilot, who spends his days flying over Colorado with his dog Jasper, searching for a better life.

He tells the BBC the film portrays “the human condition”, with the characters living in “the apocalypse” but “still looking for something else and hoping for something else”.

The film, which features a star-studded cast of Guy Pearce, Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin, is set in the 2030s, where only those immune from a deadly flu remain alive.

It immediately draw parallels with the Covid pandemic with its aerial shots of abandoned cities and Hig’s constant search for resources like food and medicine.

Elordi, who received his first Oscar nomination earlier this year for Frankenstein, says “there were a few moments I remember looking around [on set] and thinking it’s strange to be doing this make-believe, when the reality is just behind us and just in front of us”.

He says a dystopian future like the one portrayed in the film is “frightening to think about” but “it’s something we have to examine and remember, because we are on the cusp of these realities”.

The 29-year-old also says he resonates with his character’s struggle to be content with life.

“Everything is sweet for us – we’re able to walk around on the street, go to the shops, go to the park, have dinner with each other and we still go to bed and think ‘What else is there?’, ‘What am I missing?’, ‘What’s wrong?’ and nothing is”.