Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
When Reggie is abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug, Reggie is certain that his beloved owner would never leave him on purpose. But once Reggie falls in with Bug, a fast-talking, foul-mouthed stray who loves his freedom and believes that owners are for suckers, Reggie finally realizes he was in a toxic relationship and begins to see Doug for the heartless sleazeball that he is.
Strays is a raunchy R-rated talking-dog comedy that gets mileage from its concept of crude humor applied to adorable animals. The plot is serviceable but thin — a road-trip revenge story that hits familiar buddy-comedy beats. The voice performances (Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx) are energetic and committed, keeping things afloat. Cinematography is functional but unremarkable, nothing distinguishing it visually from a standard studio comedy. The novelty lies mostly in its R-rated animal-film concept, which is amusing but not deeply original once that central gimmick is established. The ending, a payoff involving Reggie biting off Doug's genitals, is telegraphed from early on and lands as broadly satisfying but not particularly clever or memorable as a comedic climax.