The Power of the Dog: Tom Holland says he hated Benedict Cumberbatch's character in the psychological drama

Directed by Jane Campion, the film also features Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Thomasin McKenzie, Genevieve Lemon, Keith Carradine and Frances Conroy

Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch

The film The Power Of The Dog, directed by Jane Campion, was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute. The film, which is now available to stream on Netflix, following its theatrical release in November last year received acclaim from the critics and praises for Campion's direction, cinematography, the score, and the performances, especially of Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch plays the role of Phil Burbank, a domineering and cruel rancher in 1925 who instils fear in people around him. The actor has been receiving an overwhelming response for his character in the Western psychological drama and has been nominated along with his co-stars Kirsten Dunst, and Smit-McPhee, but his colleague and friend Tom Holland 'hated' him in the movie.

Holland was interviewing Cumberbatch about The Power Of The Dog movie for the recently released Netflix Film Club video. The actor said that he found Cumberbatch so convincing that he hated him in the movie. He said, "The film is so shocking and it's so gut-wrenching and the intricacies of your character — I've never seen a character arc quite like it." He further said that his character as a fear-inducing rancher is nothing like his real-life personality and since he has known him for years, Holland said he couldn't recognise the Cumberbatch that he knows when he saw the film.

He said, "I really hated you. I thought you were horrible and so grotesque and awful. As the film progresses, what I loved about it was that it has these themes of toxic masculinity and gaslighting but it explores the problem rather than the problem just being present. Not that his actions are justified in any way, but you understand why he is the way he is." Cumberbatch didn't look surprised on hearing Holland's remarks. He himself described his character as 'repugnant' to such a point that he had many people telling him that they cannot watch the movie since he is 'awful' in it. But many go back to watch it again and realise that though they hated the character in the beginning, they feel inclined towards him later as they understand what a tragic figure he is.

Cumberbatch had revealed in his earlier interviews that he had adopted method acting for the role in The Power of The Dog. He had said that he went without washing for a period of up to six days, just like his character in the drama. He also gave himself nicotine poisoning from smoking so many cigarettes during the filming of the movie in New Zealand. In this video interview with Holland, he also said that he spent several weeks in Montana to prepare for his role. "The dirt, the feeling of sweat, and smell, and stench, and blood, and sinew and shit, all of that stuff just had to be real," he said.

Holland and Cumberbatch have known each other for years since they have worked together in the Marvel movies as Spider-Man/Peter Parker and Dr. Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange, respectively. They shared the screen in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. They were last seen together in the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Spider-Man: No Way Home, which also features Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

Meanwhile, The Power of the Dog has won awards for best drama motion picture, best director, and best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture for Smit-McPhee at the Golden Globes. Cumberbatch, Dunst, and Smit-McPhee have also been nominated for the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be held on February 27.

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