Viewers have dubbed one “psychologically explosive” Western film that’s streaming now on Netflix Benedict Cumberbatch’s best career performance.

Set in the vast landscapes of 1920s Montana, Jane Campion’s “masterpiece” follows the charismatic yet cruel rancher Phil Burbank, played by Cumberbatch, whose quiet world is disrupted when his brother brings home a new wife and her son. As Phil’s simmering resentment turns into a campaign of psychological torment, his hostility toward the newcomers turns everyday life into a quiet battleground.

As he targets the young boy with subtle but relentless intimidation, The Power of the Dog exposes the fragility beneath Phil’s tough exterior and the dangerous consequences of insecurity and control.

While it isn’t a traditional Western built on gunfights and duels, director Jane Campion created a tightly wound drama that explores power and manipulation that critics hailed on Rotten Tomatoes, where it received an impressive score of 94%.

One described it as a “masterpiece”, writing: “Much has already been said about Jane Campion’s western masterpiece, and for good reason. It is indeed truly great. Benedict Cumberbatch gives a career-best performance.”

A second added: “The Power of the Dog is a psychologically explosive film of beautiful and deliberate measure, one that traverses an emotional landscape as vast and mysterious as the jagged terrain the characters inhabit.”

Many describe it as a “slow burn” and one disappointed viewer said it was the “slowest uneventful movie ever”. However, another audience member said the style left them “curious and wanting to know more throughout the whole movie”.

The added: “Cumberbatch is 10/10. Cinematography is gorgeous. This movie felt more like a mystery / drama than a classic western.”

The 2021 film is streaming now on Netflix.