Good Boy

Good Boy. A horror film told only through the perspective of a dog. That is a risky move for any filmmaker. They say never work with kids or animals, yet writer/director Ben Leonberg put it all on the furry shoulders of his own pet, Indy. Does it pay off? Yes, but not in the way I anticipated. It is a horror film of sorts, yet more a metaphor for grief and loss.

Synopsis: A loyal dog moves to a rural family home with his owner, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most. | 1h 12m | Rated PG-13 for terror, bloody images and strong language.

Exclusively in Theaters October 3rd

Streaming on SHUDDER and AMC+ Friday, October 24

Other than Indy there are only less than a handful of humans in this film. The main being Todd (Shane Jensen). We learn pretty quick that Todd has some health or other issues that is making his life tough. He decides to escape to an old family home that used to be his grandfathers. It has since been surrounded by superstition and darkness. Todd takes Indy with him and Indy immediately senses that not all is right.

Ben does a wonderful job of getting Indy to react as if something is lurking in the shadows. This dog should win some sort of award. His ability to emote and respond is better than some humans I have seen. Thankfully Ben does not give us a soundtrack into the dog’s thoughts. I was worried that we would hear in human form what Indy was thinking. Some sort of Look Who’s Talking fiasco. Other than some well times whimpers and barks, Indy says nothing. But his eyes tell it all. He sees something and feels something. And that is enough to elevate the spine tingles.

Unfortunately there is only so much you can do with a dog and limited dialogue. The 82-minute run time actually feels longer. As we get some backstory into Gramps, and Todd’s condition the horror element wanes a bit. Instead we start feeling more empathy than horror. I will not go into much of that so that you can experience it organically yourselves. But there is a waive of sadness that you can’t avoid.

Obviously before agreeing to this film my question was the same as yours. Does Indy die?! I can’t answer that. Nor would you want me to. I will say that dog lover or not you will fall in love quite quickly with Indy and want to scratch his ears and nuzzle his little face. As for the real life Indy he is doing quite well with his new found fame.

Shudder fans will enjoy this one enough. For your mainstream horror fans it might be a bit slow and tedious. Kudos to Ben and Indy though for pulling it off. It is a unique concept with smart decision making.

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Matt Mungle

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