Directed by Ben Leonberg, Good Boy tells the story of Indy, a loyal dog who moves with his cancer-stricken owner to an old family home in the woods. There, Indy senses a dark entity lurking in the shadows, threatening the life of his human companion.
This inventive horror film is narrated entirely from Indy’s point of view. Leonberg maintains a consistent viewpoint that reflects Indy’s experiences, which limits the audience’s perception of both the humans he encounters and the supernatural forces that begin to terrorize him. We generally see only the lower halves of the people Indy interacts with, and when full-body shots occur, they are often obscured in some way, making Indy the focal point of the film.
When news of the film was released, I was definitely intrigued! Good Boy was initially meant to be a Shudder exclusive, but when the trailer was released, interest in the movie skyrocketed, prompting IFC to give it a wider theatrical release. This was the right call. Good Boy is the kind of film I want to see on the big screen. On a larger screen, it’s easier to appreciate how Leonberg utilizes shadows and framing in a way that effectively builds tension, and given Indy’s size, even the smallest, mundane spaces become spooky.
Obviously, the star of the movie is Indy. I’m sure you’ve heard the hype for the dog’s performance, and it’s well deserved. Indy belongs to director Ben Leonberg. He and his wife filmed at their own home, creating the 78-minute movie over a period of three years. The time spent was well worth it. They were able to coax a completely natural, yet emotive performance from Indy, perfectly conveying the dog’s curiosity, confusion, and fear as if it were our own. I know there is a benefit to using CGI in these types of movies, but there is no way Good Boy is as emotionally resonant when a computer-generated canine is used in place of the real thing. Indy is an absolute star, and he’s cute as a button, which makes his journey through this movie even more harrowing and devastating.
While there are plenty of horror elements to be found in Good Boy, including a couple genuinely frightful jump scares, the movie, at its core, is an emotional one. It focuses on Indy’s loyalty to his owner, the vulnerability of both, and how far we go to try to protect someone from something that is, unfortunately, inevitable. If there are any real nitpicks I have with Good Boy, it is that the story itself feels a little thin, but ultimately that didn’t matter much to me. I found it to be just the right length, conveying everything it needed to with the time it had. It’s an accomplished horror film that manages to be both frightening and heartbreaking all at once.
