Stray Dog may be one of Akira Kurosawa‘s earliest acclaimed movies, but it’s his style of writing down to the bone. This police procedural starts out very slow in his usual tempo but gradually builds as Kurosawa’s hefty dialogue expands upon the characters. His humanism comes through, but surprisingly there are suggestions of nihilism this time as well in the cultural dynamic of the two cops. Not one of his best movies, but a good suspense noir that’s appealing precisely because of its modesty.