‘The Power of the Dog’: About That Ending - The New York Times

This article contains spoilers for the Netflix feature “The Power of the Dog.”.

The acclaim for Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” has been loud and clear, from its Venice premiere to its release in theaters and on Netflix.

We hear that Phil dies from anthrax, but it’s not stated outright that the source was some contaminated rawhide that Peter gives to Phil.

Campion offers the barest of clues: an early mention of anthrax, Peter’s discovery of a carcass, Phil’s cutup hands and washing of the rawhide.

(Peter knows but he’s definitely not telling.) Yet the ambiguity of the ending also echoes the unspoken nature of the deep emotion at the movie’s heart.

The nuanced ending of “The Power of the Dog” isn’t the first time a Campion film has challenged audiences