In a dog-eat-dog world, even the runt of the litter has a breaking point. We learn this lesson in Dogman, the story of Marcello (Marcello Fonte), a dog groomer who tries to find his way out from beneath the thumb of the neighborhood thug, Simone (Edoardo Pesce), who is constantly forcing Marcello to participate in his latest schemes. Marcello is almost immediately likable. He loves animals, he loves his daughter. He’s built a humble life for himself. He can soothe even the angriest snarling dog. What he can’t soothe is Simone, his polar opposite, the Goliath to his David. Where Marcello is small and mild-mannered, Simone is hulking and brutish. While Marcello risks his life to save a dog, Simone spends his time terrorizing the neighborhood and pummeling anyone who gets in his way. But Marcello’s unwavering gentle nature will also be his downfall. He gets roped deeper into Simone’s dangerous antics—until one day that rope snaps. Told through unflinching shots in grayish hues, Matteo Garrone’s film keeps viewers holding their breath to the bitter end. In Italian with subtitles.