By Rebecca Sayce
Copyright metro
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I must admit I was nervous before sitting down to watch Ben Leonberg’s eagerly anticipated horror film Good Boy.
It has been the movie on genre fans’ lips since its world premiere at SXSW Festival earlier this year, earning itself an impressive 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.
And despite being an avid lover of all things gruesome and gory, one thing that will always have me running scared is the prospect of a dog in peril.
Good Boy is a unique haunted house tale in that it is told from the perspective of Indy, the loyal dog of Todd (Shane Jensen) in the film and the real-life pet of Leonberg.
The duo moves to Todd’s rural family home of his grandfather (Larry Fessenden) after he suffers an unspecified medical emergency, despite his sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman), warning them away from the home for fear it is haunted.
It doesn’t take long for our beloved four-legged protagonist to prove that Vera’s worries are not unfounded as supernatural forces lurking in the shadows harass Indy and Todd, leaving the pup to protect the person he loves most.
Good Boy made waves following its world premiere at SXSW Festival (Picture: Vertigo Releasing)
The film tells the story of a haunting all from the eyes of a dog (Picture: Vertigo Releasing)
Using man’s best friend as Good Boy’s focus is not only an engaging twist in the horror genre, but it’s a choice that ups the stakes tenfold.
Sure, we may care about Todd’s plight as malevolent forces target the vulnerable, sick man, but even the most hard of hearts will find their bottom lip quivering when Indy whines in fear.
It has long been theorised that dogs can sense beings beyond our comprehension, and it’s that which makes Indy the perfect hero, as he senses the danger long before her beloved owner does – at which point, it’s far too late.
The trope allows tension to bubble from the moment Indy first gazes into the distance and lets out a bark, seemingly at nothing. Long before the skin-crawling spectre is seen onscreen, I found myself hiding behind my pillow and checking each inch of the screen for what Indy had discovered.
But Good Boy isn’t just terrifying; it is an emotional rollercoaster detailing the devotion Indy has for his owner, even when his debilitating health issues and creeping madness in the house lead him to become neglectful.
The unique central premise never fails to keep the audience hooked (Picture: Vertigo Releasing)
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Leonberg manages to maintain the razor-sharp atmosphere in Good Boy’s tight 70-minute runtime, never allowing its narrative to lull; instead, it delivers impactful scares one after another, punctuated by utterly heartbreaking interactions between Todd and Indy.
The singular location is used to grandiose effect, as well as vibrant red and blue lighting contrasting starkly with the deep darkness of many scenes within Good Boy.
The final product is utterly surreal, bringing to life a nightmarish world that forces the audience to question if what they’re seeing is a symptom of Todd’s illness or if he and Indy really are in grave danger.
Good Boy also boasts a pulsing soundtrack that rips us out of the realism, but turns the anxiety levels up to an almost excruciating point. The stylistic choices, while bizarre, work well when considered through Indy’s viewpoint of the world as a dog, and certainly make the film unlike any other you will watch this year.
While Jensen delivers a captivating performance as Todd, who struggles desperately between the grip of the spirit world and caring for his furry best friend, it is Indy that is the star of the show.
Indy the dog is the star of the film throughout its tight runtime (Picture: Vertigo Releasing)
It’s easy to forget you are watching an actor at work whenever he is onscreen, with each twitch of his ears, raised hackles, loud bark, and anxious whine grounding Good Boy in reality.
Anyone who has owned and loved a dog will be able to understand Indy’s reactions, and their hearts will pound and shatter alongside his as Indy is thrust into a terrifying and deadly world that threatens his life, a fear he pushes aside time and time again in favour of protecting Todd.
Leonberg and his wife, producer Kari Fischer, used minimal sets and relied on their bond and intimate knowledge of Indy to convey his emotions in the story, and this scaled-back approach pays off in droves, capturing a realistic, raw, and downright magical performance from the pooch.
Like The Blair Witch Project and The Conjuring before it, Good Boy is sure to be a pioneering force in the supernatural subgenre, spawning numerous imitations that won’t reach the same bar.
It is a triumph of a feature debut for Leonberg, an eerie yet devastating effort that perfectly balances each emotional beat and scare with ease.
Far from being a gimmicky horror film that quickly loses viewers’ interest, Good Boy might just be one of the best horror films of 2025 with a unique premise, powerhouse performances, and an emotionally wrought narrative that delivers chills and tears in equal measure.
Good Boy will be in UK cinemas from October 10.
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