Movie: Good Boy
Release Date: Oct. 3, 2025
Director: Ben Leonberg
Runtime: 1 hour, 13 minutes
Genre: Horror
Rating: C
As far as intriguing, innovative premises go, a horror movie from the perspective of a dog is up there. However, novelty can only carry a film so far.
“Good Boy” follows Todd (Shane Jensen), a young man suffering from a possibly supernatural illness passed down from his grandfather, who died at his home under mysterious circumstances. Naturally, Todd packs up and moves there.
Of course, he brings along the real draw, his trusty dog Indy. Though very loyal to Todd, Indy immediately senses something off about the house, despite Todd’s reassurances. Todd’s sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman), also has concerns, often calling Todd to check in.
The central human mystery of “Good Boy” is vague, generic and often dull. The script mistakes poorly explained plot-threads for compelling ambiguity, leading to a film that feels stretched beyond its limits, despite the relatively brief 73-minute runtime.
Despite its story issues, “Good Boy” is able to thrive on strong visuals and atmospheric sequences that focus on its canine star. In his directorial debut, Ben Leonberg does an excellent job directing his own dog, Indy, whose “performance” often feels more subtle and emotional than his sub-par human castmates.
Indy is an inherently lovable protagonist, and the clear display of his loyalty to Todd elevates the impact of Jensen’s otherwise unremarkable performance. Scenes between owner and pet feel genuine and powerful in a way that the scenes directly focused on Todd come nowhere near. The relationship is believable, and it's the emotional core of “Good Boy.”
Narrative flaws aside, the metaphor driving “Good Boy" should connect with pet-owners. The film is able to take advantage of its unique perspective to send an affecting message about mortality and the relationship between people and pets.
Scenes where Indy treads through the forest with Todd or is chased by supernatural forces are well-staged and absorbing, providing a strong and much-needed source of tension. Even that feeling starts to wear thin by the climax, but it’s hard to truly get tired of watching Indy navigate the mysterious horrors of the forest and haunted house.
Overall, “Good Boy” is technically sound, especially knowing it’s a low-budget production. The film never feels cheap, with a competent, effective score and solid, suitably eerie use of digital effects in a few key moments.
The film certainly leaves the impression that Leonberg has potential as a horror director. His solid cinematography and admirable ability to stir emotion through clever direction of Indy suggest that Leonberg, paired with co-writer Alex Cannon, has a bright future.
“Good Boy” ends with a delightful documentary segment on the making of the film, sharing Leonberg and his wife Kari’s experience filming it in their own home over a 400-day span, often being the only ones on set with their dog. The featurette's insights elevate the preceding movie, making viewers realize just how much clever direction it took to get a solid performance out of Indy, who, as Leonberg repeatedly notes, had absolutely no idea he was in a movie.
Despite being only a few minutes long, the behind-the-scenes look is arguably more enjoyable than the back half of the actual movie. Regardless, it’s an inspired inclusion that will likely leave many viewers with a more positive impression, even if they didn’t love what came before.
If “Good Boy” had been conceived as or edited down to a 25-35 minute short film, it could’ve been an excellent experience rather than the OK one the finished product provides. With a compressed format, the flaws with the story of the human characters would be easier to overlook. It would frame Indy’s adventures while keeping just enough to maintain the deeper message.
While flawed, “Good Boy” has enough ingenuity and heart to make it worth a watch. Whether Indy will continue his acting career remains to be seen.