Spoiler alert: the dog DOES NOT die at the end of “Good Boy,” a lean and eerie 73-minute horror flick told entirely from the perspective of an adorable pooch. It’s a clever gimmick that riffs on the idea that dogs have a sixth sense, especially when it comes to the supernatural. If a dog ever starts barking into an empty corner in real life, you’d be smart to get out fast. “Good Boy” takes that premise literally, and director Ben Leonberg, who co-wrote the script with Alex Cannon, delivers a nifty little chiller that’s far more devastating than the playful advertising suggests.
At its core, “Good Boy” is a surprisingly reflective movie that sneaks under your skin in heartbreaking ways. Telling a story from a dog’s point of view is no small feat, and one day I’d love to see the behind-the-scenes footage of how they coaxed such a soulful performance out of Indy, the canine lead. If there were Oscars for animal acting, he’d deserve one.
For much of the runtime, the film is nearly silent, aside from the faint echoes of Indy’s owners bickering offscreen or over the phone. Watching Indy wander through rooms, tilt his head, or stare into the camera with those puppy eyes is infectious, especially during the first 45 minutes. Anyone with a pulse will be rooting for him. That said, the plotting does begin to drag toward the back half, occasionally feeling repetitive and meandering.
Leonberg grounds the story early with grainy VHS-style flashbacks of Indy and his owner Todd, a bond so strong it hurts when cracks begin to form. Indy’s soft whimpers and gentle howls cut deep as Todd’s undiagnosed illness starts to take over his life. But Indy knows something darker is wrong inside their house—a place with a sinister history that becomes increasingly alarming. The revelation that this home has already claimed the life of a beloved pet makes the haunting all the more crushing.
Don’t overthink the logic of the supernatural mechanics here. The film hints at Todd’s grandfather’s ghost and introduces a slime-drenched ghoul that stalks Indy, but these moments often feel more like a cheap haunted house than a fully realized threat. Still, it’s hard to fault “Good Boy” too much when the emotional anchor is so strong. The fact that Leonberg is Indy’s real-life owner only deepens their connection, and it shows on screen.
By the end, “Good Boy” doesn’t really play like a horror film at all. It’s something more thoughtful: an emotional gut-punch for anyone who’s ever loved a dog. It asks us to sit inside a canine’s perspective and grapple with the terrifying possibility of his world unraveling in ways he can’t understand. For animal lovers, it’s both beautiful and brutal. But at least Indy makes it through the night, ready to face another day.
GOOD BOY is now playing in theaters.