Catch ‘beautifully shot’ SA-made drama Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight on Apple TV

Rated a remarkable 91% on Rotten Tomatoes after igniting the international cinema circuit, the exceptional coming-of-age drama Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, which was filmed on location in South Africa, is now available to view in the comfort of your own home.

Embeth Davidtz’s first film as actor, writer and director makes its eagerly awaited home entertainment debut on Apple TV.

Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight has been widely hailed as a storytelling triumph that represents a milestone in our local cinematic legacy.

The Guardian praised Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight as an “utterly heartfelt, beautifully shot and meticulously realised movie”, while InSession Film praised Davidtz as “a director to watch”.

The Associated Press hailed young first-time actress Lexi Venter’s star turn as Bobo, the “half-wild child” at the heart of the story, “one of the more compelling child performances in recent memory”. Calling it “essential viewing”, What’s On In Joburg described it as “raw, tender and laced with dark humour … a deeply personal portrait of childhood in a collapsing world”.

The film was named Best South African Feature at the 2025 Durban International Film Festival. In addition, Durban resident Venter, who was seven at the time of filming, received a New Voices/New Vision Special Jury Mention at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for her outstanding breakout performance.

This globally acclaimed drama about a young girl’s life on a Rhodesian farm during the 1980 Bush War is based on Alexandra Fuller’s stirring 2001 memoir of the same name. Directed and adapted by Davidtz, who spent her youth in South Africa, it features a local cast shining with stars such as Rob van Vuuren (as Bobo’s father) and Zikhona Bali (as Bobo’s nanny).

In the movie, the Fuller family’s growing paranoia during the civil unrest is seen through the innocent eyes of their “feral” and “dirty little barefoot kid” Bobo, who draws audiences into her world with a mixture of curiosity, empathy and mischievousness. Her close relationship with one of the farm workers, Sarah (Bali), forms the emotional heart of the film.

Davidtz, known for her roles in box-office hits such as Schindler’s List and Matilda, partially financed the film adaptation of the book with her own earnings. Fellow South Africans Trevor Noah and Anele Mdoda, as executive producers, were instrumental in helping Davidtz bring her cinematic vision to life.

Says Davidtz, who plays Bobo’s depressive, alcoholic mother in the film, “This was the naughtiest, wildest, most incredibly honest character … I was particularly looking for a non-actor and I wanted her to be incredibly authentic. As soon as I met [Lexi Venter], I knew that she was the right person to play it.”

The film, a passion project for Davidtz, demonstrates the importance of Africans telling their own local stories instead of looking to Hollywood for inspiration. She told KFM (regional Cape Town radio station) while promoting the film in South Africa that “I want every South African to come and see this film because … they’re seeing themselves reflected back. The child is hope … and that’s what I want people to take away from the film.” DM

Watch Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight on Apple Tv.

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