Rotoscope animation, Dog of God, has brought the sex to this year’s TriBeCa film festival. Whilst on paper the story is based around a 17th century witch trial in Livonia, it is far more focused on the depravity of the community around it. What begins as a film told from a religious and pious perspective gradually becomes one of the horniest drawn movies in history, with even the priests not above succumbing to the lure of carnal pleasures. Expect to see more animated phalluses, breasts and pubic mounds than thought possible, with the film’s crescendo featuring an orgy of naked flesh.
Once Dog of God has gotten underway it doesn’t take long for its horny side to rise up. Whether it be a priest fascinated with asking his protegee exactly what the women were wearing, or the Baron who is fixated on correcting his erectile dysfunction, Dog of God is not a film that shies away from the now taboo sex on screen. That it is in animated form might see it pass by the usual bemoaners of film sex, but those unbothered by nudity should certainly seek it out.
There is of course more than just sex to Dog of God’s substance, with the film throwing up some interesting ideas about religion, what it means to be holy, as well as surrendering to one’s baser instincts. These conversations are especially interesting as the witch at the centre of the controversy is removed from the more lurid activities, contrasting her perceived deviancy and perversion to her accusers’ actual actions. These moments will conjure up plenty of discussion and allow Dog of God to be more than a series of fornicating sequences; their inclusion is valid as they make the audience think.
The animation itself is both beautiful and grotesque. Each image has been wonderfully rendered, but what they depict adds a greasy, griminess to the frame that oozes outward and envelopes the viewer. The sound design is, for a variety of reasons, exceptionally squelchy, working to make the world on screen feel more real than its animated depiction.
Certainly not a film to everyone’s tastes, Dog of God will further divide audiences already at war about sex on screen. It is this quality however, that makes it entirely worthy of your time. Whatever your opinion, Dog of God presents food for thought, and could perhaps, even change some perceptions.
Dog of God
Summary
A horny, sexually charged animation that uses contrasting beliefs and behaviours to its advantage, encouraging the audience to engage and debate its themes and topics.
Dog of God was reviewed at TriBeCa Film Festival 2025.
