Good Boy: Review. By George & Josh Bate.

If you’ve ever had a dog, there’s probably been a number of times in which they stared off in the distance or barked at something only they can see, experiences made all the more unnerving if they occur at night. What is our dog seeing that we can’t? Is this just some quirky behaviour or is our beloved companion noticing something insidious lurking in the shadows? Good Boy, a new film from director, co writer, and producer Ben Leonberg, uses these questions as the foundation for an ambitious, aesthetically unique, and undeniably heartbreaking journey that ranks among the most original horror movies in recent years.

Originally making its world premiere back in March at SXSW, Good Boy unfolds entirely from the perspective of an adorable canine named Indy. After his human owner Todd decides to relocate to a long-vacant family home in the country, Indy begins to notice all manner of strange occurrences, including disturbing visions of the previous owner’s death, warnings from a long-dead dog, and an ominous, invisible figure only he can see. As Indy struggles to make sense of the perplexing situation, his love for and dedication to Todd never wavers.

Bolstered by a unique premise and similarly distinctive filmmaking, Good Boy is quite unlike any horror movie ever made. Every moment of the film, without exception, is told from the perspective of our canine hero Indy, who arguably delivers the best cinematic performance from an animal of all time (Indy even won the inaugural ‘Howl of Fame’ award at SXSW for his performance). Leonberg often employs low angles to convey the perspective of Indy, in addition to close-up shots of the dog’s face laden with rich and complex emotion.

Human faces are obscured, either by darkness or distance, for virtually the entire runtime, rendering Indy the audience’s eyes and ears to behold the haunting events that occur. In telling this story from the perspective of Indy, Leonberg crafts a visually distinctive film marked by all kinds of striking shots. It is not uncommon for a film, including horror films, to have a scene or two told from a dog or animal’s perspective, but to use this storytelling approach for an entire feature makes Good Boy feel and look decidedly different than anything out there.

Making Good Boy all the more remarkable is the fact that no CGI enhancements were used to bring Indy to life. There are numerous moments in the film that will have you in awe as just how Leonberg was able to get so many brilliant, genuine reaction shots and, more generally, such a strong performance from a dog. Indy’s expressive eyes, cute whimpers, body movements, unrelenting adoration for his human owner, and endearing innocence collectively make him an extraordinarily compelling protagonist. Even in the absence of any dialogue from our hero, Indy (backed by impressive directing from Leonberg) manages to convey incredible emotion, thought, and concern that make him a main character far more compelling than most main characters in horror movies.

Although Good Boy features a lean 73-minute runtime, its repetitive narrative structure unfortunately wears thin. Including its opening, nearly every scene of Leonberg’s film unfolds similarly. Unbeknownst to Todd, a strange noise or figure in the background alerts Indy, who then ventures off to different corners of the house to investigate before he (and the audience)are treated with some kind of scare. As none of these scares are particularly unsettling, the film quickly grows repetitive and even monotonous, despite the unrelentingly enthralling turn from Indy at the heart of the story.

Rather than obscure its messaging in ambiguities, Good Boy reveals its true nature fairly early on in its runtime. That is to say, unlike your average David Lynch feature, the supernatural occurrences that Indy and the audience are privy to do not go unexplained. While the reveals and explanation could have perhaps been shrouded in more secrecy, they nonetheless work well and see Leonberg’s film become far more than just another horror film. On a more positive note, however, wearing its subtext firmly on its sleeve allows the audience to not get bogged down in theories as to why all these strange things are occurring. Instead, this allows us to look beyond theorization and hone in on the story’s emotions.

The story ultimately converges on a predictable, yet nonetheless emotionally affecting finale. It is difficult to not be moved by Indy’s unconditional love for his owner and how this love culminates in a truly devastating conclusion for the film. Once again, Indy deserves immense praise as this conclusion works as well as it does due to the dog’s immersive, genuine performance.

Rating: 7/10

Good Boy may lumber along with a repetitive narrative structure, but its filmmaking novelty and rich emotion make it one of the most devastating, original horror movies in recent years. After watching the new film, you’ll likely think differently every time your dog perplexingly stares off into the distance or barks at something you can’t see.

Good Boy is in theatres October 3, 2025

---

We hope you're enjoying BRWC. You should check us out on our social channels, subscribe to our newsletter, and tell your friends. BRWC is short for battleroyalewithcheese.

---

Trending on BRWC:

---

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

---

---