Overview
A poignant exploration of childhood and resilience in a charming Swedish village.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- melancholic
- tender
- reflective afternoon
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a beautifully constructed, emotionally intimate coming-of-age story with exceptional child acting and a deft blend of humor and pain.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ingemar narrates and processes illness, separation, and loneliness by comparing his circumstances with Laika's fate.
Ingemar is twice sent to a supportive village where Uncle Gunnar, Ulla, Saga, and other residents offer care and companionship.
Ingemar repeatedly returns to the story of the Soviet space dog Laika to measure and understand his own hardships.
The film frames terminal illness, sibling separation, and village life as an intimate slice-of-life portrait.
Films like My Life as a Dog, and why
The 400 Blows
shared tender coming-of-age perspective, childhood irony, and bittersweet emotional realism
The Spirit of the Beehive
shared rural childhood setting, gentle humor, family hardship, and lyrical melancholy
Kes
shared child-centered storytelling, intimate family pain, and warm eccentric community characters
The Tree.,
shared reflective childhood memory, understated comedy, and emotional resilience amid domestic instability
Movie Details
- Director
- Lasse Hallström
- Release Date
- 1985-12-12
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (301)
Cast
- Anton Glanzelius
- Tomas von Brömssen
- Anki Lidén
- Melinda Kinnaman
- Kicki Rundgren
- Lennart Hjulström
- Ing-Marie Carlsson
- Leif Ericson
- Christina Carlwind
- Ralph Carlsson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is My Life as a Dog about?
- A wry Swedish boy turns illness, separation, and village eccentricities into a tender education in surviving bad luck.
- What is My Life as a Dog like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Life as a Dog as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is My Life as a Dog violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in My Life as a Dog.
- What did critics think of My Life as a Dog?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a beautifully constructed, emotionally intimate coming-of-age story with exceptional child acting and a deft blend of humor and pain.
- Which films are like My Life as a Dog?
- Films with a similar feel include The 400 Blows, The Spirit of the Beehive, Kes, and The Tree.,.
- How long is My Life as a Dog?
- My Life as a Dog runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch My Life as a Dog?
- In United States, My Life as a Dog streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
