Film review: The Power of the Dog
A searing western from the director of The Piano

Venus and Serena Williams’s father Richard resolved that his daughters would become tennis stars before they were even born, said David Sexton in the New Statesman. Having seen Virginia Ruzici win $40,000 in a tournament, he drew up a 78-page life plan for the girls, which was then “rigorously” enforced. King Richard follows his efforts to “stick to the plan”, from the sisters’ childhood years in Compton, California, to 1994, when Venus made her professional debut at the age of 14. The film, starring Will Smith in the title role, has been endorsed by the family, so it’s “feel-good through and through”: this is no exposé of overweening parental ambition. It’s not even really about tennis. What we have here is yet “another rehearsal of the American dream” – a study of how the individual can achieve the impossible, “whatever the adverse circumstances”.
All that is cool and slick in Smith has been rolled up and stuffed out of sight, said Clarisse Loughrey in The Independent. “Decades of pricey skincare routines” are hidden beneath under-eye circles; his shoulders are slouched throughout. Yet what makes him such a “ferocious asset” to the film is the one thing that can’t be scrubbed out: that he is a “true movie star in an age where there are diminishingly few”. He has a command and presence here that give the film the lifeblood it needs to triumph. This “extraordinary tale of one man’s obsession” is far too long, said Brian Viner in the Daily Mail. Even so, I enjoyed it. For anyone who loves sport, it’s “irresistible” – and Smith is “terrific”, nailing the stooped and bandy-legged lope that has been such a regular sight at tennis tournaments for the past 25 years. “I confess that I wiped away a tear once or twice.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Lavender marriage grows in generational appeal
In the spotlight Millennials and Gen Z are embracing these unions to combat financial uncertainty and the rollback of LGBTQ+ rights
-
The 5 best zombie TV shows of all time
The Week Recommends For undead aficionados, the age of abundance has truly arrived
-
Magazine solutions - October 10, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - October 10, 2025
-
6 incredible homes under $1 million
Feature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classic
The Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period drama
The Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thriller
The Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?
Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiry
The Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’
-
Art review: Sixties Surreal
Feature Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, through Jan. 19
-
Music reviews: Cardi B and Wednesday
Feature “Am I the Drama?” and “Bleeds”