Therapy Dogs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Therapy Dogs Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 11, 2023

High school can be a special time for some students. It can be Hell on Earth for others. For creators Ethan Eng and Justin Morrice, life in Cawthra Secondary School is somewhere in the middle, with the teenagers looking to capture their final year of education and camaraderie by showcasing the “truth about high school,” with “Therapy Dogs” sold to staff and students as a “senior video” project, allowing them to roam the halls with cameras. It’s a simple idea, but a question of reality remains with the endeavor, which isn’t a documentary and doesn’t qualify as drama, with the feature primarily built out of horseplay and staged incidents. There’s no profound understanding of adolescence, and artfulness is limited at best, with Eng and Morrice basically making a skateboard video with occasional breaks for honest observation, trying to sell a scattered, occasionally tedious study of low impulse control as an epic examination of what it’s like to grow up, get real, and enjoy one last year of educational and social opportunities.

Subjects are limited in “Therapy Dogs,” with Justin and Ethan basically the stars of the movie. Ethan has filmmaking ambitions, never far from a camera to capture all the mundane details of his life. Justin is his muse and a young man willing to hurt himself for his director, often leading the twosome as they figure out things to do to help deliver content for the video project. Kyle Peacock is in the mix at Cawthra Secondary School, and there’s Kevin Tseng, who’s the most traditional documentary subject found in “Therapy Dogs,” with the seemingly shy guy trying to express himself via musical theater and handle jazz band practice. He’s talented and learning more about ambition, comfortable with his achievements in the arts at Cawthra, also giving the endeavor as close to a dramatic arc as possible.

“Therapy Dogs” has the basic structure of a school year, with the Class of 2019 going about their business as students and friends, filling the days with chatter and movement. The movie doesn’t show much concern for the educational experience. Heck, the film doesn’t even explain where Cawthra is located beyond basic Canada geography, throwing viewers into the middle of a time and place without offering much explanation about what’s going on with the kids and the school. What viewers do learn fairly quickly is how Justin and Ethan love to pass the time by being destructive, engaging in pranks and vandalism, also working on their urban exploration skills, which involve the scaling of a local water tower and they jump off a dangerously high train bridge. Justin is depicted as more of a lost soul, often turning to drugs and drink to entertain himself. Ethan is more obsessive, including his fixation on the suicide of Tyler, a boy who seemingly had it all at Cawthra years ago, only to take his own life the day before graduation.

Is any of this real? That’s the question of “Therapy Dogs,” with Justin and Ethan including some obvious manipulation when it comes to contemplative encounters around town, and acts of physical harm are crudely cooked. Only Kevin’s journey feels authentic, with the picture going observational during these moments, watching the actor gear up for his part in “Our Town” and the musician work on his instruments, rehearsing with others before playing in front of audiences. He’s talented, but doesn’t know what to do with it, resistant to the call of Hollywood as he nears graduation.

The rest of “Therapy Dogs” is a goof, including a sequence where Justin volunteers to strap himself to the top of a car as it spins around the school parking lot, with stunt video glory interrupted by local police. We watch teens struggle to take their part in the production of a Students Against Drunk Drivers video seriously. And there’s plenty of time at parties, where inebriated teenagers play to the camera, slurring their words and stumbling around locations. Is this cinema? Perhaps, but Justin and Ethan fail to make anything compelling, with “Therapy Dogs” resembling an extended YouTube video, filled with relationships that are never illuminated, and oddity that isn’t explained, explored when Ethan elects to visit a local strip club to find a prom date.

Darkness isn’t welcome in “Therapy Dogs,” but there is something in the short amount of time spent with Jayden, a classmate who doesn’t want to be filmed for Ethan’s “school shooter video.” Naturally, he’s tormented, with Ethan happy to bully the kid for laughs, exposing some grim behavioral issues “Therapy Dogs” doesn’t bother to explore in full. Again, these interactions could be staged, but Jayden’s irritation with Ethan’s antics is certainly relatable.

Therapy Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation deals with a variety of commercial grade cameras, with technical quality varying from scene to scene. Clarity is there for the most part, picking up on the pubescent appearances of the subjects, with decent skin particulars and textured clothing. School interiors explore decorative additions, and exteriors retain dimension, following the kids as they tour their town and go urban exploring. Color is consistent and realistic, delivering decent primaries and skin tones. Greenery is also capable. Delineation is satisfactory. Compression issues are periodic, with mild banding detected.

Therapy Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix doesn't really do much with the surrounds, which are reserved for musical moods, and even those moments are brief. It's mostly a frontal listening experience, with good clarity on conversations and general tomfoolery. Soundtrack selections also emerge with definition, and musical theater visits and band practice provides sharp instrumentation. Low-end isn't challenged.

Therapy Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features creators Ethan Eng, Justin Morrice, and "The Therapy Dog Kids."

• "Reunion" (20:54, HD) is a return to the "Therapy Dogs" shooting experience with creators Kyle Peacock (who's hanging out with his friends at a bar), Kevin Tseng (who's on a trip to Los Angeles), and Justin Morrice (who's sitting in his bedroom), with the men reflecting on the whole event three years later. There's not a lot here, but some ideas on love, aging, disillusionment, and regret emerge, getting back in touch with these wandering souls.

• Interview (22:05, HD) is a video conference discussion of "Therapy Dogs" with creators Kevin Tseng, Justin Morrice, and Ethan Eng, created for the Slamdance Film Festival. It's a semi-jokey conversation, with everyone trying to be playful instead of direct, possibly to downplay the unreality of this reality film. Usual questions about the project's origins and creation are asked, and favorite moments are shared.

• Interview (4:24, HD) is a conversation between creator Ethan Eng and executive producers Matt Johnson and Matt Miller.

• And a Slamdance Trailer (1:40, HD) is included.

Therapy Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Therapy Dogs" is meant to be atmospheric at times, skipping on any understanding of Cawthra Secondary School's staff and the local community. We barely see any parents either. The film just swims in circles for 80 minutes, trusting viewers will connect with universal acts of adolescent shenanigans and loosely defined fears of tomorrow. Maybe active viewer response is possible, but it takes a serious leap of faith to believe such creative intent.