DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY
The Furst Brothers
STARRING
Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Riele Downs, Zak Steiner, Page Kennedy, Joey Bragg, Troy Gentile, Hayden Panettiere
With heavy (and comedic) homage to the Wes Craven-produced 2006 wild dog film The Breed, 2025’s A BREED APART is a loose remake, sports bad CGI and spoofery to a new level. The Furst Brothers (Griff & Nathan) tell a story about Violet(Grace Caroline Currey), who scores an invite to a private island getaway with the world’s top influencers. She’s ready to post, party, and maybe snag a few thousand new followers, but what she doesn’t expect? is becoming a contestant in a real-life nightmare where the main event is hunting man-eating dogs, or becoming their next chew toy. It’s like Survivor, but with more blood and less Wi-Fi. Starring Hayden Panettiere, Virginia Gardner, and Grace Caroline Currey in a terrifyingly twisted (and surprisingly hilarious) tale where the hashtags are deadly and the likes won’t save you.
Were moviegoers clamouring for a remake or spiritual sequel to 2006’s The Breed, that obscure Michelle Rodriguez monster-dog flick? Probably not. But here we are in 2025 with A Breed Apart, a film that, despite (or maybe because of) its absurdity, manages to carve out a weird little niche in cinematic history.
This isn’t your typical horror flick. It’s part satire, part homage, part fever dream. The plot is a chaotic blend of humour and outlandishness, playing more like a surreal reality competition show than a traditional monster movie. Think Survivor, but the prize is an island overrun with wild, genetically engineered dogs. (Let’s hope the winners packed plenty of dog waste bags.)
The CGI dogs are intentionally terrible, or at least that’s what the filmmakers want you to believe. Sometimes, though, they veer into uncanny, AI-generated monstrosity territory, which weirdly works in the film’s favour. Had the dogs looked more realistic, A Breed Apart might have been too unsettling to enjoy. Instead, the over-the-top visuals only add to the film’s unhinged charm. You get the sense that being on set was probably more fun than the film itself, and that spirit comes through. Be sure to stick around after the credits; some outtakes are funnier than the actual scenes.
However, there’s a major caveat: if you haven’t seen The Breed (2006), you’re likely to be lost. A Breed Apart is less a parody of the genre and more of a direct spoof of that one film. The callbacks, jokes, and even some recreated scenes will fall flat without that specific context. Unlike something like Scary Movie, which riffs on an entire genre, A Breed Apart is locked into a single-source parody, which might leave most viewers scratching their heads.
That said, fans of The Breed will find plenty to chuckle at. There’s a sense of affectionate mockery throughout, like a group of friends poking fun at a cult classic they grew up watching.
On the casting front, it’s a mixed bag but not without highlights. It’s genuinely nice to see Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner share the screen again after their strong performances in Fall (2022). Their chemistry adds a touch of credibility to the madness. Meanwhile, Troy Gentile, best known for his role as the lovable Barry Goldberg on The Goldbergs, takes a hard left turn here, playing a foul-mouthed, unlikable jerk. It’s jarring at first, but entertaining in its own right.
Hayden Panettiere, arguably the film’s biggest name, makes only a few brief appearances, but she does pop up in the final act to help tie things together with a bit of gravitas and a wink to the audience.
In the end, A Breed Apart is going to divide audiences. If you’re into so-bad-it’s-good films like Sharknado, or you’ve got a soft spot for bizarre horror deep cuts, this might be your jam. But for everyone else, especially those unfamiliar with The Breed, this will likely seem like a trainwreck of bad CGI, flat characters, and confusing inside jokes.
It’s not for everyone, but for a very specific audience, A Breed Apart is a wild, weird ride worth taking… ideally as part of a double feature with the 2006 original.
In Theatres and On Demand, and On Digital May 16, 2025
