Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight (film)

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is a 2024 South African drama film written and directed by Embeth Davidtz in her feature directorial debut. The film is based on Alexandra Fuller's 2001 memoir about the experiences of her White Zimbabwean family following the Rhodesian Bush War. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2024, and was also screened as part of the Gala Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2024.^[4]

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
United States theatrical release poster
Directed by	Embeth Davidtz
Screenplay by	Embeth Davidtz
Based on	Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
Produced by	Helena Spring Paul Buys Embeth Davidtz
Starring	Lexi Venter Embeth Davidtz Zikhona Bali Fumani Shilubana Rob Van Vuuren Anina Reed
Cinematography	Willie Nel
Edited by	Nicholas Costaras
Music by	Chris Letcher
Production company	Rose and Oaks Media
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Classics
Release dates	30 August 2024 (2024-08-30) (Telluride) 11 July 2025 (2025-07-11) (United States)
Running time	100 minutes[1]
Country	South Africa
Languages	English Shona
Budget	$1.4 million[2]
Box office	$579,082[3]

Cast

• Lexi Venter as Alexandra "Bobo" Fuller
• Embeth Davidtz as Nicola Fuller
• Zikhona Bali as Sarah
• Fumani Shilubana as Jacob
• Rob Van Vuuren as Tim Fuller
• Anina Reed as Vanessa Fuller

Production

The production obtained an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA to continue work on Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight amidst the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.^[5]

Release

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2024. It was also screened as a Gala Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2024.^[4][6] On 26 September, Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film.^[7]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 49 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Tackling thorny themes with fierce intelligence and a wonderful performance by Lexi Venter, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is a striking feature debut from writer-director Embeth Davidtz."^[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[9]