The Power of the Dog (2021) Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Phil targets Peter because the boy represents vulnerability and effeminacy, which Phil deeply despises. Phil's hyper-masculine identity is rooted in suppressing any perceived weakness, and Peter's lisp and gentle nature trigger Phil's need to dominate and belittle. This cruelty is also a way for Phil to assert control over Rose, whom he views as an interloper exploiting his brother's wealth.

Foreshadowing: Early on, Phil's mocking of Peter's speech sets the tone for his antagonistic behavior throughout the film.

• phil burbank
• peter gordon
• cruelty
• masculinity
• psychological torment

Yes, the evidence strongly suggests Peter deliberately exposed Phil to anthrax. Peter had been studying diseases and knew about the infected cow hide. He deliberately cut the hide and gave it to Phil to craft a lasso, knowing it could cause infection. His sinister smile at the end, combined with his reading of Psalm 22:20 about deliverance from "the power of the dog," confirms his calculated act to protect his mother.

Foreshadowing: Peter's morbid fascination with disease and his dissection of the diseased cow foreshadow his ability to carry out this plan.

• peter gordon
• phil burbank
• anthrax
• murder
• ending explained

Phil's relationship with Bronco Henry was deeply significant and homoerotic in nature. Bronco Henry was Phil's late mentor and the man Phil idolized. Peter discovers magazines of nude men tied to Bronco Henry, and Phil's emotional reaction to the handkerchief suggests an intimate, possibly romantic connection that Phil has never been able to openly acknowledge. This repressed sexuality fuels Phil's cruelty and rigid masculine persona.

Foreshadowing: Phil's possession of Bronco Henry's handkerchief and his emotional reaction when Peter finds it hint at their intimate past.

• bronco henry
• phil burbank
• homosexuality
• mentor
• repressed sexuality

Rose turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism after Phil's relentless psychological torture. At the gathering where she's pressured to play piano, Phil publicly humiliates her while still dirty from work, causing her intense shame. Unable to confront Phil directly and feeling trapped in her marriage to the milder George, Rose begins drinking secretly to escape her distress. Her alcoholism deepens as Phil's cruelty escalates.

Foreshadowing: Rose's admission that she's not talented at piano and her reluctance to perform hint at her fragility before Phil's public humiliation triggers her drinking.

• rose gordon
• alcoholism
• stress
• phil burbank
• psychological abuse

Phil contracted anthrax from the cattle hide Peter gave him. Peter had dissected a cow that died from anthrax and deliberately saved the hide, later presenting it to Phil as a gift for crafting a lasso. When Phil handled the infected hide without gloves while having a small wound on his hand, the anthrax bacteria entered his bloodstream, leading to his fatal infection.

Foreshadowing: Peter's dissection of the diseased cow and his subsequent interest in the hide plant the seeds for this method of transmission.

• anthrax
• phil burbank
• infection
• cattle hide
• peter gordon

Phil's change toward Peter stems from seeing himself reflected in the boy. When Phil discovers Peter shares his morbid curiosity about death and disease, he begins mentoring Peter as a way to connect with someone who understands his darker impulses. Phil likely sees Peter as a kindred spirit he can mold, though this mentorship ultimately proves fatal for Phil.

Foreshadowing: Phil's interest is sparked when Peter admits to dissecting animals, revealing a shared fascination with death.

• phil burbank
• peter gordon
• mentorship
• bonding
• psychological manipulation

Psalm 22:20 reads "Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog." The "dog" refers to Phil, whose surname Burbank evokes a canine image. Peter reading this passage after Phil's death confirms his awareness of what he did. The psalm represents Peter's view of himself as delivering his mother (his "darling") from Phil's toxic influence, rationalizing his murder as a righteous act of protection.

Foreshadowing: Peter's sinister smile and placement of the completed lasso under his bed reinforce the calculated nature of his actions.

• psalm 22
• symbolism
• ending
• peter gordon
• bible reference

Peter is an introverted, emotionally complex boy who has coped with his father's suicide by immersing himself in academic study, particularly anatomy and pathology. His interest in disease and death reflects his traumatic childhood. His isolation on the ranch is partly by choice and partly forced by Phil's torment. However, this apparent weakness masks a calculating intelligence that ultimately enables him to orchestrate Phil's death.

Foreshadowing: Peter's admission that he found his father's body after his suicide reveals the trauma driving his character.

• peter gordon
• psychology
• trauma
• isolation
• medical school

Rose achieves sobriety after Phil's death and is embraced by George, free from Phil's psychological torment. However, the film doesn't confirm whether Rose knows Peter's role in Phil's death. Her relief is genuine, but it comes at the cost of her son's moral corruption. The ending presents a bittersweet outcome: Rose is saved, but through murder rather than justice.

Foreshadowing: Rose's deepening alcoholism directly correlates with Phil's presence, making his death the catalyst for her recovery.

• rose gordon
• sobriety
• ending
• george burbank
• redemption