Snitter and Rowf, a pair of dogs, escape from a research facility where they are being cruelly tested. They quickly discover that life on the outside is just as inhumane.

Obviously, this belongs in the genre of ‘animation not for kids’ (another cartoon film adapted from a book by Richard Adams, who also wrote the nightmare-inducing animated movie Watership Down), and right from the get-go, we see why. Snitter is being drowned and taken to the point of death to see how much he can take. Other atrocities are shown in the film.

Whilst this isn’t an anti-vivisection film per se, it certainly points a finger in this direction. But it also takes aim at institutions that seek to destroy the animals once they have escaped and the cruelty towards animals by those who should be more civilised.

This is a tough watch, but just like Watership Down, it’s a brilliant one. Adams is a great writer, his work here has been expertly adapted for the screen bh director, Martin Rosen and the animation still stands up.

There were two cuts of the film- the uncut version and a less grisly one. The uncut one was thought lost for many years but has now, thankfully, been lovingly restored.

4.5 out of 5 stars