A film narrated by a dog that left viewers 'in tears' is now one of the most-watched movies on Netflix UK. The 2019 American comedy-drama The Art of Racing in the Rain hit the streaming service this weekend and quickly shot to sixth place.
Based on the 2008 novel by Garth Stein, which spent 156 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, the adaptation stars Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfried, with Kevin Costner providing the voice of Enzo, a golden retriever. The film was directed by Simon Curtis.
The story follows Denny Swift, a Formula One driver who applies racing techniques to life, with his dog Enzo as narrator. Critics offered mixed reviews, but those who enjoyed it were deeply moved. The Sunday Times said: 'By the end I was crying like a baby.' Paste Magazine called it 'the right kind of tearjerker'.
Ventimiglia told Entertainment Weekly he was drawn to the 'very human story' and admitted he cried during his first viewing. The film's unique angle of a dog observing his owner's trials struck him as 'magic without it feeling like it was trying to push the magic'.
The movie's rapid rise on Netflix UK demonstrates its appeal to both dog lovers and racing enthusiasts, with one fan on Rotten Tomatoes calling it 'perfect'. It now sits among the platform's top ten most-watched titles.
