China 2008. Following his release from prison, Lang returns to his hometown on the edge of the Gobi desert. The now desolate city is overrun with stray dogs, and Lang enlists in the team rounding them up as part of a pre-Beijing Olympics clean-up. When Lang captures the suspected rabid Black Dog, an expected bond forms between man and dog.

Director Guan Hu, better known for recent blockbuster The Eight Hundred, delivers a more delicate work with Black Dog. Drawing on elements of Western, film noir and comedy, and shooting in widescreen, Hu’s unlikely tale of redemption is unique, intimate, yet cinematic. But it’s actor Peng’s and faithful companion Xin’s winning performances that make this 2024’s must-see crowd pleaser.