A man, running a little behind schedule, rushed into the cinema just after the previews ended. He fumbled in the dark, apologizing as he stepped over toes and spilled a bit of his popcorn. Finally, he found a seat and settled in. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he looked to his left—and froze.
Sitting in the seat next to him, perfectly upright, was a golden retriever.
Not on the floor. Not in someone’s lap. In the seat. Munching popcorn from its own box.
The man blinked. Was this one of those 4D movie experiences? No, this was definitely not part of the show.
He leaned toward the person on the other side of the dog, whispering, “Excuse me… is that your dog?”
The woman whispered back, “Yes, that’s Max. He loves action movies.”
The man nodded slowly, unsure if he was being pranked. But he figured, why not just watch the movie?
As the film went on, he couldn’t help but keep glancing at Max. During a funny scene, the dog let out a clear “woof-woof” that sounded suspiciously like laughter. During a sad scene, Max whimpered. During the suspenseful climax, he covered his eyes with a paw.
When the villain revealed himself at the end, Max barked once—then let out a loud, dramatic sigh like he saw it coming all along.
After the credits rolled, the man turned to the woman again. “I’ve got to say… that’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. Your dog watches movies better than most humans.”
She nodded proudly. “I know, right? But to be honest, I’m a little disappointed.”
“Disappointed? Why?”
“Well,” she said, standing up with Max, “he hated the book.”
