What happens when we die? This is a question that many people have been pondering for centuries, but according to “A Dog’s Purpose,” you are reborn. The movie’s main character, a dog, refers to himself as “Bailey” because that was his favorite name, finds his first home with a little boy named Ethan, who gives him this name. Bailey and Ethan live many perfect, happy going everywhere years together, and when Ethan finds a girlfriend, the addition of Hannah (Britt Robertson) to “the pack” just brings Bailey more well-deserved attention.

The trio continues to grow closer, but it eventually comes to an end when a house fire results in Ethan injuring his leg. He can’t play football anymore, so he doesn’t go to college when Hannah does, and in both his physical and emotional pain, he breaks up with her. As their lives go in different directions, Ethan later goes off to college himself once his leg has healed.

With his best friend gone, Bailey sinks into a depression. When he doesn’t eat or want to go on walks anymore, Ethan’s family promptly takes him to the vet, where they find out that his kidneys have started shutting down. Seeing as this is a movie about Bailey’s reincarnation, he is put down and his life has a very emotional ending.

Moments later, Bailey opens his eyes and finds himself as a puppy again. He– or this time, she– is named Ellie and becomes a police dog owned and trained by a policeman named Jakob (John Ortiz). When his life as Ellie comes to an end, Bailey is reborn again as Tino before he is brought to his final one, where he is neglected for years until he is let go. Bailey then starts walking, not exactly knowing where to, and this leads to a heart-wrenching ending that will bring you to tears.

In real life, there is much controversy over this part of the movie as PETA claims that the German Shepherd playing Ellie was abused for the water scene. On the contrary, people who worked on the movie assured reporters that the dog was in no real danger. This claim set many minds at ease, but others are still skeptical of the canine’s safety during filming.

Overall, I give “A Dog’s Purpose” a full ten lives and would recommend it to any dog-lover who has two hours to kill. This rollercoaster of emotions will take you from crying to laughing within minutes, and by the time the credits start to roll, it will leave you speechless. See life– or, lives– through Bailey’s eyes in the heartwarming movie “A Dog’s Purpose” before it’s too late.