The Secret Life of Pets begins with that idea - watching someone else’s pet, specifically a dog named Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) and his owner, Katie (voice by Ellie Kemper). And thanks to the prevalence of smartphones, watching other people’s pets’ Vines and stalking their Instagrams isn’t weird at all - it’s become a fixture in pop culture. Thanks to technology and the rising popularity of GoPro cameras, we’re somewhat aware of the loneliness and anxiety our dogs experience when we leave for the office every morning.

The film is surprisingly dark - and it might make you feel guilty about owning a petĬreated by Despicable Me filmmakers Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud, The Secret Life of Pets has a more grounded premise than its Minion-flavored cousins: The lives of our animal companions - dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, even alpacas if that’s your thing - revolve around us, so what do our pets do when we’re not around? In this era of Pixar-perfected proficiency, The Secret Life of Pets is intriguing because of what it isn’t. The result is a reckless, messy film that is somehow still endearing, charming even. A third act that’s a bit too raw, as if it’s missing its final coat of paint and polish. A salty scene that bares its fangs and gets a bit too mean. But there are also moments that skew a little too dark.

Secret life of pets