Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy (2025) seems like a premise that surely had to have been done before. A staple plot point of many haunted house films is the family dog absolutely knowing something is amiss in the new rickety house its nice family moves into, to the point where there are websites that spoil whether or not a pet dies in a movie. Good Boy breaks the streak of animals meeting their demise in horror films by making the pet the hero, as Indy (the good boy in question) goes to great lengths to save his owner from supernatural forces tormenting the two of them.
This effective, otherwise beat-by-beat haunted house film is anchored by the willingness of Indy to protect his owner and save the day. As one of the biggest surprises of the year, Good Boy will surely lead to an uptick in leading animals in horror films.
I simply cannot begin discussing Good Boy without discussing the star that makes it so memorable. Indy, who plays his lovable self in the film, gives one of the most deeply moving performances of the entire year. While much of the film hinged on the editing (especially the eerie musical cues in the score), altering what would normally be typical clips of a dog looking with a neutral expression, Indy has an expressiveness in every scene that is an undeniable display of talent.
The other leading performance by Shane Jensen as Todd, Indy’s owner, is just as real and heart-wrenching as Indy desperately tries to save him from the forces attempting to tear them apart. If it were not for this incredible canine and his relationship with Todd, this film would have felt like nothing more than a gimmick. It also helps that Indy was directed by his own owner, who shot the movie over three years, staging scenarios for Indy to move through. Leonberg’s impressive direction of Indy is evidence of the hard work he put into the film, especially considering that Indy is not a trained actor.
Good Boy never strays from Indy’s perspective, with the low angles and eye-level shots of Indy walking through a creepy old house. We rarely, if ever, see Todd’s face in plain view, which further cements Indy as the star. Even as Indy watches Todd deal with horrors both real and supernatural, his face is obscured in order to maintain the focus on Indy and what he may be feeling. The most heartbreaking part of the movie is the lack of communication Indy has with Todd, and he is largely unable to warn him directly of the spirits that are lurking in the shadows. We again feel the emotional connection Indy has with his owner, which I’m sure many dogs have with their own owners.
Despite the scares of Good Boy being somewhat bland, Leonberg maintains an atmosphere of unease and shows rather than directly tells the audience what may be haunting Indy. This may be the first time audiences have seen a dog’s nightmares depicted in a horror film, and they are impressive pieces of visual storytelling that propel the plot forward while also exploring Indy’s anxieties about his owner’s well-being.
Good Boy is a somewhat viral hit, and word of mouth will likely propel this film into the mainstream due to its unique premise and delightful canine lead. It is a masterclass in “show, don’t tell” storytelling that cements not only Indy as one of the cutest dogs in cinema history, but Leonberg as an innovative voice in horror, using his own time and resources to craft an effective and compelling horror premise. It’s a surprise that this premise has not been explored in depth until 2025, but rest assured, this will usher in a subgenre of horror focused on adorable animals saving the day and beating unspeakable evils.
Review Courtesy of Nadia Arain
Feature Image Credit to IFC Via IMDb