Dogs always seem to know what’s up before their human counterparts do. There’s no shortage of videos where a dog goes running for cover long before a disaster strikes. Be it their sense of smell, super hearing, or perhaps some sort of canine extrasensory perception, they’re undoubtedly clued into something. And those of us lucky enough to have or have had a dog have all experienced that unsettling moment when our furry companion stares into a corner and growls at nothing. Nothing that we can see at least.
This is the driving idea behind Good Boy, the first and only horror movie told from the perspective of a dog. His name is Indy, and he’s the goodest boy there is. He and his human Todd (Shane Jensen) have recently moved into the abandoned home of Todd’s deceased grandfather (Larry Fessenden, legend). Todd hopes to clean the place up and live a peaceful rural life. As the restoration project progresses, Indy starts seeing dark entities encroaching upon his human, threatening their shared future, and challenging the loyal dog to communicate what he sees to his bestest friend in the whole world.
This is a quieter, more contemplative film than many haunted house movies, but that makes it no less spooky or suspenseful. Instead of a perilous, shrieky vibe, the unique POV gives the film more of a curious and inquisitive tone. Indy isn’t necessarily in harm’s way, but he recognizes the otherworldly threat and wishes to investigate it in ways only a dog can. Director Ben Leonberg (Indy’s real-world human) might have a little dog in him on account of his ability to accurately (I’d assume) create a canine perspective. To clarify, the film isn’t shot as if the dog’s eyes are the camera, but rather as if the dog is the main character (which he is). As such, the human characters are not shown in full. Their faces are obscured, and their identities are marked by other visual cues (think Nanny from The Muopet Babies). The items that draw Indy’s focus are not what would attract a human eye, but Leonberg guides our gaze nonetheless. This, in addition to a heightened soundscape, gives the film an otherworldly feel that has little to do with the supernatural material. There are moments where it’s hard to tell exactly what we’re looking at, which is a purposeful, effective touch that serves to put us firmly in the shoes (ok, paws) of our hero.
There is some dialogue, but these words mean nothing to our audience surrogate, and we are cued to read the tone of their delivery rather than the words themselves, just as he would. That said, Indy gives such a layered, thoughtful seeming performance that I do wonder if he has a full grasp of the English language. Wild to say this, but one of the best performances of 2025 comes from a dog (a good, good, dog who deserves all of the awards/treats).
Good Boy famously prompted a marked uptick in Google searches for “does the dog die?” This is understandable, and while I will not spoil anything about the film by providing an answer, I will say this: Good Boy is not a punishing film, nor is it a difficult one. It is warm, thoughtful, and ruminative. It’s a story about the bond between animal and human, and it just so happens to be quite spooky to boot. There’s nothing like it in existence. A true original.
Directed by Ben Leonberg
Written by Alex Cannon, Ben Leonberg
Starring Indy, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden
Rated PG-13, 72 minutes
