‘Good Boy’ Introduces an Unforgettable Canine Hero Facing Menacing Scares 

Alci Rengifo

Like few genres, horror can refresh a familiar concept with new approaches. On the surface, “Good Boy” is another one of those haunted house movies where some dark force stalks shadowy corners and lonely hallways. This time the difference is that we experience jump scares from the point of view of a canine hero, Indy, who may very well be this year’s most memorable screen debut. He is an instantly likable retriever capable of evoking emotions and urgency through a mere stare, bark or whimper. More than many humans onscreen, Indy makes us care. 

Director Ben Leonberg, who happens to be Indy’s owner as well, concocts a simple yet perfect setting. Todd (Shane Jensen) goes to an isolated cabin he has inherited from his grandfather (Larry Fessenden) and takes Indy along. They watch old horror movies together on VHS with the sort of TV you can now call vintage. Todd is clearly suffering from a serious health issue as he will suddenly cough blood and look terribly weak. Indy also sees something his human master apparently cannot: A dark figure prowling around the home, taking on menacing poses and seeming to target Todd as well as the dog. 

This is the basic set-up of “Good Boy” and Leonberg sustains it effectively for most of its running time. It works like a horror cousin of dog movies like “White God” or the donkey odyssey “EO,” where the animal characters are directed so convincingly, we begin to relate to them. Cinematographer Wade Grebnoel uses Indy’s face the way master directors tend to use the visages of their human actors. It must have been quite the task getting the right moment or close-up of the dog. When the dark entity plaguing the home seems to peer from behind a door, Indy’s face jerks up with genuine curiosity and worry. There are close calls involving the entity grabbing at the lovable canine from underneath Todd’s bed, table and other corners that will make squeamish viewers keep the lights on when they get home.

At heart “Good Boy” is a horror film expression of why people grow so close to their pets. Indy is an embodiment of any animal a human parent gets close to. We love our dogs, cats, guinea pigs and any other animal companion because of that special bond that forms with them. Todd is alone, flashbacks reveal when he receives a tragic diagnosis and Indy seems to be his only genuine source of support. Because we learn the details of this world from Indy’s vantage point, meaning he won’t fully understand what is going on, we only get hints of what’s wrong with Todd. Those ominous VHS tapes in the cabin also hint at a dark past involving Todd’s grandfather. Other clues point towards a curse in the family, as well as a tradition of always having a loyal dog around.

On an even deeper level, “Good Boy” can be seen as a metaphor for the experience of trying to stop a wounding loss. Indy’s emotional journey is akin to someone trying to prevent an illness or other threat from taking away a loved one they care deeply about. Leonberg can craft some good scares propelled by Sam Boase-Miller’s moody score, but this is a film more sorrowful than terrifying. Indy is not necessarily “fighting” the malevolent force stalking his owner. He is attempting to outrun it and somehow warn Todd. Indy’s performance is so convincing and involving that it is almost difficult to believe the canine is unaware of the film’s plot. 

Leonberg is smart at deciding to keep the film short at 73 minutes. By the third act the plot can threaten to become redundant, since the film insists on never switching to any point of view other than Indy’s or expanding the narrative beyond the lone threatening entity continuously popping out of the shadows. The climax erupts into more of a typical scream fest with howling winds and unnerving discoveries in the basement. Leonberg still pulls it all off skillfully, making us root for Indy during the final confrontation. “Good Boy” thus ends as a unique and memorable little parable that will warm the heart of a true dog lover despite having the clear aim of making the pulse race. 

“Good Boy” releases Oct. 3 in theaters nationwide.