In film, actors always get credited for great performances, but what about their non-human companions? Since we just had The Dog Stars and Heart of the Beast, the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Animal Performances.
As per usual, each writer ranks their top 15 performers in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. SAM - I AM LEGEND
German Shepherds have a lot of ideas attached to what they are: the smartest dogs, the most disciplined dogs, and also unfortunately, the if-your-dog-was-racist dog (the Civil Rights Era was not kind to them). But when you put the right German Shepherd in the right situation, you get the bestest dog, and there isn’t one I could think of quicker than the bestest girl in any apocalypse, Sam (aka Samantha) from I Am Legend. Whether Dr. Neville (Will Smith) needed a hunting partner, a road dog, or someone to listen to him sing “Three Little Birds,” Sam was there in the clutch. I don’t even want to think about that scene, so I won’t mention it for fear of my eyes watering; however, when she came to his aid to protect him from the infected dogs, I kind of didn’t want to watch the rest of the movie because I knew what was coming. I’m just happy she was in Neville’s arms in the end. Damn it, who’s cutting onions?!?!?! - Amarú
4. BUDDY - AIR BUD
There may have been a few too many sequels, but we all remember Buddy, the dog who could play basketball. As a kid, you’d watch Air Bud and wonder why your pet didn't have that talent. Buddy could do it all: basketball, baseball, football, soccer, and even volleyball. None of that would have worked without a dog that could make you believe he was able to play sports. There have been multiple Buddys, as the original passed away just after shooting the first film, but they all deserve their flowers as the unlikely athlete we all grew up with that made you question what was actually possible. - Nick
3. SNOOP - ANATOMY OF A FALL
When Milo Machado-Graner’s Daniel takes centre stage in the back half of Justine Triet’s masterpiece Anatomy of a Fall, it begins with the agony of watching his pet border collie, Snoop (Is he named after Snoop Dogg or Snoopy? I’m not sure), get sick and lose consciousness. And who can blame the emotional distress? That dog was as loyal to his owner as it gets, and the Palme Dog-winning mutt, Messi, was a natural on camera as the one who finds the body that sets off the film’s series of events. It was the sequence where he gets sick and barfs up aspirin where Messi shows off some genuinely impressive dog acting, at least as far as I’ve seen. Shout out is, of course, owed to his trainer, Laura Martin Contini, but dog actors don’t become sensations for nothing, and Messi earned his star status. - Adriano
2. INDY - GOOD BOY
When we make these lists, I tend to avoid nominating anything too recent. Recency bias is a real thing, and just because I loved something today doesn’t mean I’ll even remember it in a year. With that in mind, lumping a super recent movie or performance with a bunch of all-timers isn’t something I’m prepared to do. Indy, the titular good boy in Good Boy, is a rare exception. I knew immediately, as I was watching, that I was seeing the best animal performance ever put on screen. Hell, I remember thinking it was the best performance, full stop, I had seen in all of 2025. I felt every bit of Indy’s fear, confusion, anguish, and concern. There are Oscar winners who can’t get me to do that. So, yeah, this was a no-brainer for me. And do you want to know the funny thing? I don’t even like dogs. - Quentin
1. TOTO - THE WIZARD OF OZ
The Wizard of Oz is one of my favourite films, and it holds a very special place in my heart. Dorothy’s (Judy Garland) loyal and adorable pet terrier Toto, played by a female dog named Terry, is the bark of reason amid the technicolour world they find themselves in. Toto’s expressive little face and obedient nature are always present beside Dorothy, playing a central part in the story. Whether it's standing by her on the Yellow Brick Road, alerting Dorothy to the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), or unveiling the truth behind the famed Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan), Toto is a vital part of the journey to Emerald City. I’m particularly fond of Toto’s performance during "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," when he hops up beside Dorothy for the duration of the song and reaches his paw out to her whenever she comes near. As if the song alone didn’t make me cry already! Toto’s performance is solidified in cinematic history in one of the most perennial classics. So, indeed... and Toto, too! - Katie
HONORABLE MENTIONS
BLACK PHILLIP - THE WITCH
JENNY - THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
BRANDY - ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
MILO - THE MASK
BABE - BABE