A smartly-made, atmospheric and surreal tale about man’s best friend.
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Good Boy went sensational for its premise – an adorable and smart dog, Indy (as himself), stars as the lead of a horror film about saving his owner, Todd (played by Director Ben Leonberg), from the clutches of dark and omnipotent evil, entirely from Indy’s own perspective. It ended up gaining so much notoriety, both online and word-of-mouth, that it managed to get wide release, a rare feat for indie films with its level of budget.
Thankfully, Good Boy goes beyond just gimmick and instead pushes for this atmosphere-rich, dark, surreal film with moments where it’s legitimately unclear if Indy is just “dreaming” again, or encountering an elderitch creature. It manages this through no dialogue, just smart use of angles and staging.
There’s also the interesting choice to obfuscate Todd and other human faces, which puts the audience into this strange, murky headspace of watching everything unfold through the eyes of an animal – one that can’t warn or do much to save its owner, touching on this primal fear of being trapped in a body unable to speak. Few films manage to capture the horror of helplessness and urgency this did.
Despite that, Good Boy feels better suited to a shorter runtime, losing charm when certain story beats become repetitive, such as Todd ignoring his sister and Indy’s warnings only to end up in more danger, making for a non-catharthic, despondent experience.
Still, Indy is remarkably expressive and a joy to watch, making Good Boy a unique take on contemporary horror that is worth a watch.
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