Like Dogs (2021) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

In a stark, institutional setting where scientific curiosity borders on cruelty, a university‑backed behavioral experiment seeks to treat its human participants as if they were animals. The premise hinges on a daring hypothesis: by stripping away societal norms and imposing animalistic routines, researchers hope to reveal raw aspects of human nature. The atmosphere is cold and clinical, its concrete corridors echoing with the muted sounds of confined lives, while an undercurrent of ethical unease pulses through every observed reaction.

Lisa, a university student with a keen intellect and a restless drive, finds herself thrust into this unsettling world as a central figure in the study. Within the facility’s cramped kennels, she encounters Adam, another subject who has endured the regimen for an indeterminate length of time. Their interactions become a fragile negotiation of dominance, dependence, and survival, set against the watchful eyes of the project's overseers. George and Erika move through the shadows of the laboratory, embodying the ambiguous line between scientific ambition and moral responsibility, each adding layers to the power dynamics that govern the participants’ daily existence.

The film’s tone is a blend of psychological tension and stark realism, inviting viewers to ponder the limits of consent, control, and identity. As the experiment unfolds, the stark environment amplifies the characters’ internal struggles, hinting at the thin veil between observation and exploitation. The mood is one of quiet dread, punctuated by moments of uneasy camaraderie and the ever‑present question of whether the subjects will ever reclaim agency in a place designed to strip it away. This unsettling premise sets the stage for a compelling exploration of what it truly means to be human when the rules of civilization are deliberately erased.