Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy is a heartbreaking horror movie told from the perspective of Indy the dog, who delivers an incredible performance.
Basing an entire movie around the performance of an animal actor is ballsy, and yet Ben Leonberg did just that and pulled it off. Good Boy stars his real-life dog, Indy, and tells a heartbreaking story from his perspective. As his owner gets sicker and sicker, he has no idea why this is happening.
What follows is a visually stunning, yet absolutely tragic tale that had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. The film is just over an hour long, which works to its benefit because every aspect of it feels like important information. Another brilliant decision by the director was opting to keep the human faces often obscured, allowing the audience to truly focus on the dog during the majority of the movie.
Good Boy is intense and often unsettling. It is also a deeply sad movie as viewers see this poor dog watching his owner descend into something almost unrecognizable and having no idea why. The bond between us and our pets is a strong one, and I admit, I held my pup close as I watched, and then gave her all the love in the world as the credits rolled.
For those who have a dog, or any pet at all, it is impossible not to relate to this one. There is something bizarre going on in the home, and of course, Indy is aware of it, but does not know how to warn his owner. Something that is equal parts scary and sad.
I cannot stress enough how blown away I was by Indy’s performance in Good Boy. They always say not to work with children or animals because it can be difficult to get them to do what you want them to on screen. Perhaps it is because Indy is the director’s dog, but he gave everything that he needed to for his story to come across on screen in the way that the audience needed him to.
Good Boy has a few jump scares, but they are not there just for the shock, but rather as a part of the story. While I will not get into spoilers, I will say that the ending is extremely powerful and will stick with me for quite some time. It is impossible not to fall in love with Indy, even if you are not a dog person.
Overall, this is a simple story, but one that is meaningful. It is a visually stunning movie thanks to great choices by the director and cinematographer. There are moments that are completely unsettling, and in the end, it will probably break your heart, but that doesn’t mean it is not worth watching.
See Good Boy on the big screen on October 3rd.
About Good Boy
Our canine hero, Indy, finds himself on a new adventure with his human owner–and best friend–Todd, leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. From the start, two things are abundantly clear: Indy is wary of the creepy old house, and his affection for Todd is unwavering.
After moving in, Indy is immediately vexed by empty corners, tracks an invisible presence only he can see, perceives phantasmagoric warnings from a long-dead dog, and is haunted by visions of the previous occupant’s grim death.
When Todd begins succumbing to the dark forces swirling around the house, Indy must battle a malevolence intent on dragging his beloved Todd into the afterlife.
Good Boy comes to theaters October 3rd.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.