
Heart of a Dog
"Heart of a Dog" is a Soviet film adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s iconic novella. Set in 1920s Moscow, it tells the satirical and darkly humorous story of a stray dog named Sharik, who is transformed into a human by Professor Preobrazhensky through a daring medical experiment. The resulting man, Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov, embodies the social and ideological tensions of early Soviet society. With its sharp critique of class struggle, human nature, and the perils of radical change, the film is celebrated for its faithful adaptation, brilliant performances, and rich allegorical depth.

Heart of a Dog (1988)
Vladimir Bortko
At a glance
Countries
Soviet Union
Ratings
TMDB users
7.9/10
187 votes
Rating consensus
79/100 blend
Sources: TMDB
Warm reception overall — weighted ~79/100 across 1 rating source. The listed meters mostly agree.
Cast
Community Ledger
No logs yet — yours would be the first on Risocast.

Heart of a Dog (1988)
Vladimir Bortko
Similar films & shows
From TMDB’s similar-title graph — shared genres, tone, cast, or who also watched this.
























