The Latest Supernatural Horror Film is the Product of One Really Good Boy (2025)
Title: Good Boy
First Non-Festival Release: October 1, 2025 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Ben Leonberg
Writer: Alex Cannon, Ben Leonberg
Runtime: 72 Minutes
Starring: Indy, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
Every pet parent wonders about the inner workings of their furry friend’s minds. These swirling thoughts rage further when their pet focus on a seemingly empty part of their home or vocalize fervently despite there being no sound. Is there something there or are they just over sensitive? Good Boy seeks to explore that idea through the point of view of the most adorable Nova Scotia Duck Tailing Retriever, Indy.
After his owner Todd (Ben Leonberg) has a medical scare, Indy (Himself) finds his life uprooted when they travel to Todd’s late grandfather’s house deep in the woods. Hoping the stint in the wilderness will aid in his healing, Todd takes to the experience quite well, unaware of the strange phenomena Indy immediately begins observing. As Todd’s health takes a turn for the worst, the supernatural happenings ramp up for both of them.
A sugary sweet supernatural thriller, Good Boy trades traditional scares for creepy canine capers.
Truly original ideas still exist and sometimes all it takes is a nice twist on an already conventional tale to realize them. Good Boy takes its strong concept and makes it an enjoyable, if flawed, supernatural horror film. With ghost stories a dime a dozen, the perspective switch in Good Boy allows for more conceptual ideas of fear to creep in and to pose stranger questions that are often under-explored in the genre. Can dogs really see ghosts and if so, what does that look like? What do dogs dream of and can they experience nightmares too? What drives them to have such loyalty and companionship for their human? The answers are varied but Good Boy does its best to flesh out Indy’s world and his character as much as possible.
Easily the star of the movie, Indy’s performance is genuinely impressive not only from the animal acting standpoint but the logistic nightmare it caused for the production. Getting a dog’s attention can already be difficult enough but to do so for an entire feature film where he is the main star? Nearly impossible. It’s impressive to note that in the three years of shooting that Good Boy did, this is the performance Indy gives. His thoughtful eyes captivate every scene he’s onscreen, portraying a level of depth and devotion that might otherwise be vacant from a human’s performance. Indy clearly loves his owner, Leonberg, which translates to Todd in the film.
In time, the greatest aspect of Good Boy becomes its biggest weapon, as the film struggles to fill its already scant runtime. Dragging in the first two acts to both setup the haunted house elements and Indy’s relationship with Todd, Good Boy wanders around the woods before firmly committing to its premise. Planting a few red herrings that don’t go anywhere, Good Boy discovers early on that there are only so many things a dog can do in this situation after they get locked in or to something. Since Indy is real, his response can only be as bold as the average dog. It makes his character rather static, and while that makes it easy to root for him, it also makes it easy to check out as he moves around one obstacle to the next.
Wrapped in a chilly autumn haze, Good Boy trades scares for atmosphere, a choice that pays off splendidly. The cinematography feels far grander in scale than typical low-budget productions. There’s plenty of beautiful shots of the cabin and the acres of woods that surround it that brings out the rustic, distant lifestyle needed to survive. Sweeping shots of the foggy forest and clever tricks of the eye hiding ghostly apparitions demonstrate the film’s dynamics. Good Boy likes playing with expectations, which makes setting up the scares more varied and playful. The lighting may get a bit too dark at times, but with its pervasive use of shadows and darkness to anthropomorphize its entity it ends up working to the advantage of Good Boy.
Dog lovers will rejoice, and maybe tremble too, with the novel approach Good Boy takes with its horror. The closest to a live action “Courage the Cowardly Dog”, Good Boy easily charms thanks to Indy’s performance and indie creativity with making its haunted house come to life. It stretches its story a bit too far for what it can handle but that doesn’t detract too much. Saccharine yet atmospheric, Good Boy is a solid gateway horror for those interested in the genre but still hesitant for fear of too much gore.
Overall Score? 7/10
