Benji (2018 film)

Benji is a 2018 American adventure drama film written and directed by Brandon Camp, and produced by Blumhouse Productions. The film is a reboot of the 1974 film of the same title, which was directed by Camp's father Joe. It stars Gabriel Bateman and Darby Camp.^[3] Jason Blum served as a producer through his Blumhouse Productions label.

Benji
Official release poster
Directed by	Brandon Camp
Written by	Brandon and Joe Camp
Produced by	Jason Blum Brandon Camp
Starring	Gabriel Bateman Darby Camp Jerod Haynes Angus Sampson Will Rothhaar Kiele Sanchez
Cinematography	Thomas Scott Stanton
Edited by	Carsten Kurpanek
Music by	Kostas Christides
Production companies	Blumhouse Productions Meridian Entertainment Imagenation Abu Dhabi Cohen Kids Anton Capital Entertainment Camp Brand Symbolic Exchange
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	March 16, 2018 (2018-03-16) (United States)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$6 million[1]
Box office	$585,333[2]

The film was released on March 16, 2018 by Netflix.^[4] It was also released theatrically in China.^[2]

Plot

In New Orleans, siblings Carter and Frankie live with their single mother, Whitney, who works long hours to support them. One day, while walking home from school, the children come across a small stray dog and immediately form a bond with him. They name him Benji and begin secretly caring for him, despite their mother’s strict rule against having pets.

Carter and Frankie frequently visit Benji, sneaking him food and affection. However, when their mother discovers their attachment to the dog, she insists that they cannot keep him. Heartbroken, the children reluctantly part ways with Benji, who sadly watches them from a distance.

Meanwhile, a group of criminals is involved in a pawn shop robbery and, in a twist of fate, cross paths with Carter and Frankie. The criminals kidnap the siblings, intending to use them as leverage. As they are taken to an abandoned warehouse, Benji witnesses the abduction and follows the kidnappers, determined to rescue his friends.

Using his intelligence and agility, Benji tracks the children and sneaks into the warehouse. He manages to create distractions and cause chaos among the criminals, leading them to become disoriented. At one point, Benji finds a way to retrieve a walkie-talkie, which helps alert the authorities to the children's location.

The police arrive just in time, apprehending the kidnappers and safely rescuing Carter and Frankie. Their mother, realizing the depth of Benji’s loyalty and bravery, is overcome with gratitude. She acknowledges how much Benji means to her children and changes her mind about keeping him.

Benji is officially welcomed into their home, no longer a stray but a beloved member of the family. The film concludes with the family sharing a heartfelt moment, showing that Benji has found the love and security he always longed for.

Cast

• Gabriel Bateman as Carter Hughes
• Darby Camp as Frankie Hughes
• Kiele Sanchez as Whitney Hughes
• Gralen Bryant Banks as Sam King
• Will Rothhaar as Syd Weld
• Angus Sampson as Titus Weld
• Jerod Haynes as Lyle Burton
• Lacy Camp as Officer
• Jim Gleason as Captain Newsome
• Brady Permenter as Brute
• James W. Evermore as Hot Dog Vendor
• Tom Proctor as Cajun Captain
• Arthur J. Robinson as Mr. Okra
• Cooper as Benji
• Rott as Himself
• Mongrel as Herself
• Robbie Daymond as The Voice of Benji
• Kevin Michael Richardson as The Voice of Mongrel
• Khary Payton as The Voice of Rott

Production

On May 21, 2016 Blumhouse Productions announced a reboot of the 1974 film Benji which would be directed by Brandon Camp with Gabriel Bateman starring in the film.^[5]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began in October 2016 in New Orleans.^[6][7]

Release

The film was released on March 16, 2018, by Netflix. The film served as Blumhouse Productions' first film to be released as a family film.

Classification

Benji is rated PG for its mild violence and moderate upsetting and frightful scenes.

The film is as such darker than the 1974 Benji film .

Reception

As of October 2021^[update], review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 60% based on 10 reviews.^[8] As of March, 2020, Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[9]

It grossed $585,333 at the Chinese box office.^[2]

References

1. "Canine movie star Benji is ready for his close-up on Netflix". Los Angeles Times. December 16, 2017. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
2. "Benji Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
3. Scott, Ryan (19 October 2016). "Benji Reboot Begins Shooting, Blumhouse Shares First Photo". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
4. Netflix (2018-02-04), BENJI | Official Teaser [HD] | A Netflix Film, archived from the original on 2018-03-20, retrieved 2018-02-04
5. Hayes, Britt (May 21, 2016). "'Benji' Reboot in the Works From Classic Film Director's Son". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
6. D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 18, 2016). "'Benji' Reboot Sets Cast; Filming Already Underway In New Orleans". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
7. Hughes, William (October 18, 2016). "The Benji reboot has finally started filming". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
8. "Benji (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 2018-03-23. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
9. "Benji (2018) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2020.

External links

• Benji at IMDb