Film Review: ‘Good Boy’ Features an All-Timer of a Canine Performance in a Moving and Deeply Unsettling Ghost Story

There are few horror films that would be able to simultaneously compel and stress me out in equal measure like Good Boy. On the one hand, as a dog lover, a fright flick where a canine is the lead and the sole perspective? That’s incredibly creative and interesting, so count me in. On the other hand, as a dog lover, putting one of our four legged friends as the center of a movie like this puts them in (fake) danger, which stresses me the hell out. So, mission accomplished, Good Boy. I feared for this dog’s well being every second of this emotional and unsettling genre tale. By the end, I knew I’d seen something wholly unique, while also needing to immediately give a scratch to my own dog, who also is a very good boy.

Good Boy gets an all-timer of a dog performance out of Indy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever playing himself. We’ve seen some great animal performances of late, especially with Anatomy of a Fall, but this sees a dog as the lead and also the hero of a scary movie. That’s truly one of one. The film simply wouldn’t work if you don’t believe the dog and his performance. That you do is one of the great accomplishments of the year.

Indy (Indy) loves his best friend and owner Todd (Shane Jensen), though is unsure what to do when he appears to have fallen ill. When this leads Todd to leave the city and take Indy to his family’s long abandoned country home, it’s a real adjustment. Even just on the drive, Indy sees things that make him nervous. The creepy old house is scary, sure, but his master has brought them there, so that’s where they live now. However, something else seems to be there, which Indy is confused by, though needs to track and keep an eye on.

The longer they’re there, the worse Todd gets, appearing to succumb to the darkness in the home. As that progressively destroys him, Indy is getting warnings from the ghost of a prior dog in the home, as well as visions of what happened to Todd’s grandpa (Larry Fessenden). It’s all a lot for the dog, but if Todd needs him, Indy is there, intent on saving him, no matter the cost.

Indy gives a hell of a performance, and it’s an actual performance, full of emotions. Sure, credit goes to his owners and handlers (more on them below), but the dog himself is doing actual work. He’s able to convey determination, fear, love, and unwavering support in a way that elevates the film. Shane Jensen is fine, while Larry Fessenden essentially cameos, but Indy is the real deal. Supporting players include Arielle Friedman, but you’re seeing this for Indy and his canine performance, without question.

Co-writer/director Ben Leonberg, who also is Indy’s owner, deserves a lot of credit for effectively centering a whole movie around the dog. Leonberg wrote the screenplay with Alex Cannon, while his wife and producer Kari Fischer is also handling Indy with him. The results speak for themselves, at least visually. The script Cannon and Leonberg crafted is a vehicle for this filmmaking style, so it’s up to the direction to rule the day. By centering everything from a dog’s perspective, the emotions are heightened, as well as the tension. Whatever you think he can’t understand, it stresses you out, which is the intent. By the end of Good Boy, you may well be devastated, though not in the manner you could be expecting.

Good Boy kind of shocked me, since I wasn’t aware you could even make this type of a film. Now, the movie took years to complete, given the difficulties inherent in making a dog the star, but the effectiveness of that effort is plain to see. I can’t believe this exists, let alone is so moving. If you’re a fan of dogs in cinema, a new star has emerged in Indy.

SCORE: ★★★1/2