Film studios are well-aware of the unrelenting power of pets; furry friends have the ability to attract a wide array of audiences and evoke strong emotions. Some of the most admired and popular movies heavily feature a character’s devotion to their pets, whether in a thriller like I Am Legend, a light-hearted family flick such as Hotel For Dogs, beautiful artistic experiments like Pig, or off-the-wall comedies like Seven Psychopaths. For decades, the cinema has utilized the unbreakable bond between a person and their pet, often yielding spectacular and deeply moving results. Regardless of the genre of the picture, animals are frequently front-and-center in some of Hollywood’s finest films, or at least provide necessary comic relief.

Many famous and unforgettable movie characters have important ties to their pets; Keanu Reeves experienced a career resurgence with his titular role in the action thriller John Wick, following the ex-hitman as he seeks revenge for his murdered dog. Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods takes Harvard by storm alongside her pint-sized pooch, and Farmer Hoggett even managed to teach a pig to herd in family classic Babe. These movie characters love their pet(s) more than they do any human, and sometimes it's hard to blame them.

8 Robert Neville (I Am Legend)

The 2007 post-apocalyptic thriller I Am Legend stars Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville, a former U.S. Army virologist who is seemingly the last human left in New York City after the destruction of mankind due to a virus Neville and his beloved and faithful companion Sam, a German Shepherd, evade and combat the cannibalistic and nocturnal mutants known as Darkseekers. The doctor has lived in isolation for three years, having tragically lost his family during the outbreak and relies heavily on Sam for both comfort and some semblance of stability. Neville’s relationship with his four-legged comrade is deeply moving and endearing; Sam is truly all Neville has in a frightening and deranged new world. I Am Legend was a box office hit and Smith’s poignant portrayal of the heart-broken and lonely Neville garnered universal praise, as did the film’s depiction of his unbreakable bond with his cherished companion.

7 Cliff Booth (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Mastermind Quentin Tarantino’s epic 2019 dramedy Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows two of his most likable characters, the fading television star Rick Dalton and his best friend and stunt double Cliff Booth, as they strive to find success in a rapidly changing Hollywood in 1969. The big-screen extravaganza also depicts the looming threat of the tragic Manson murders as the characters unknowingly interact with key individuals involved in the horrific incident. Brad Pitt stars as Dalton's stunt double (and kind of pet, in his own allegorical way) who drives the star (Leonardo DiCaprio) around due to his suspended license, and lives in a trailer with his trusty pit bull, Brandy. In one of the most heartwarming scenes in the film, Booth returns home from an exhausting day and lovingly feeds Brandy a dog food feast, bonding with his canine companion. Brandy proves to be a key component of the violent climax of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and it’s abundantly clear Booth prefers the company of the dog over nearly any human.

6 Elle Woods (Legally Blonde)

The beloved 2001 comedy classic Legally Blonde famously stars Reese Witherspoon as the fashionable sorority queen Elle Woods who, in an effort to win back her Ivy League boyfriend, decides to attend Harvard Law School. Elle bravely tackles a slew of stereotypes in her journey of self-exploration, proving to not only everyone else but most importantly herself that she’s far more than just a blonde with good taste. She and her devoted Chihuahua Bruiser take Harvard by storm, empowering and inspiring both women and audiences across the world. Bruiser is Elle’s partner-in-crime and her most trusted confidante, and their touching and adorable relationship is front-and-center in the hilarious movie. The pint-sized pooch was featured more prominently in the film’s 2003 sequel Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, as it focuses on Elle’s attempts to reunite Bruiser with his mother during an animal rights campaign.

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5 Farmer Hoggett (Babe)

Based on Dick King-Smith’s novel The Sheep Pig, the 1995 Australian family dramedy Babe tells the touching story of farm pig Babe, who learns to become a sheepdog with a little help from the kind and compassionate farmer Arthur Hoggett. The bond between Babe and Hoggett is truly the heart of the film, as the gentle farmer defies the odds and bemused judgment from others and succeeds at teaching the orphaned piglet how to herd. His iconic line, “That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do,” has become synonymous with the family flick, as it highlights the duo’s sweet and tender relationship. Babe earned critical and commercial success, with the Chicago Tribune proclaiming it “a terrific picture that takes a lot of risks and makes them all pay off in a charming story about a pig who fancies himself a sheepdog–or sheep-pig.”

4 Charlie Costello (Seven Psychopaths)

Martin McDonagh’s satirical dark comedy Seven Psychopaths features an ensemble cast including Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, and Christopher Walken, and focuses on a struggling screenwriter who accidentally finds himself embroiled in the criminal underworld after his zany friend kidnaps a gangster’s beloved Shih Tzu. Woody Harrelson portrays the aforementioned gangster Charlie Costello, an unhinged and violent mobster who is willing to hurt and kill anyone who gets in the way of rescuing his prized pooch Bonny. The screwball dramedy is hilarious and highly entertaining, and demonstrates the power of pet love, and what an owner will do to reunite with them. Seven Psychopaths garnered positive reviews from critics, with The Hollywood Reporter saying, “Harrelson has fun contrasting his devotion to Bonny with his contempt for humanity.”

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3 Andi & Bruce (Hotel For Dogs)

The 2009 family comedy Hotel For Dogs tells the story of two orphaned siblings living in foster care who secretly take in stray dogs at a vacant hotel. Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin portray the animal-loving brother and sister, who make it their mission to rescue dogs that no one seems to want to adopt. The heart-warming film is directed by Thor Freudenthal, who was attracted to the “urban fairytale aspect”, saying, “It’s basically these unwanted children, these unwanted animals coming together and making their own place in their own home.” Hotel For Dogs shows Andi and Bruce’s desire to form a family based on the immense comfort they find in their adorable four-legged friends; it is without a doubt the perfect flick for animal lovers.

2 John Grogan (Marley & Me)

Based on the John Grogan memoir of the same name, 2008’s biographical dramedy Marley & Me stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as John and Jennifer Grogan, who learns valuable life lessons from their adorable yet ornery dog Marley. John adores Marley, finding his misadventures the perfect inspiration for his newspaper column, and he develops a deep bond with the animal despite his rowdy behavior. Pet owners flocked to see the movie, which is jam-packed with amusing humor and tender moments between the married couple and their unruly Labrador retriever, despite its infamously sad ending. Entertainment Weekly praised the family film, calling it “the single most endearing and authentic movie about the human-canine connection in decades.”

1 John Wick

Undeniably one of the most intense and exciting examples of just how meaningful an animal’s love can be, 2014’s John Wick follows the titular character, a former hitman, as he comes out of retirement to hunt down the gangsters who killed his cherished puppy (which was the last gift from his late wife). Keanu Reeves stars as the vengeance-seeking assassin, who is left heartbroken and enraged when his pet beagle Daisy is killed and his vintage Mustang is stolen. The dog provided him comfort and solace as he coped with his grief and isolation from the world, and Wick bonded with the beagle as he attempted to come to terms with the loss of his wife. John Wick focuses on the character’s crusade to extract revenge on the men who took Daisy’s life and his prized car, and the film kicked off a lucrative franchise for Reeves, but it all started with his love for that pet. The action thriller garnered rave reviews, with Rolling Stone proclaiming, “John Wick is the kind of fired-up, ferocious B-movie fun some of us can’t get enough of.”