Some of us joke that when a beloved pet stares intensely into space that they are seeing something that our eyes cannot. In our house, our corgi will sometimes bark at seemingly nothing before waddling back over to his fluffy bed—did his big ears perceive something outside or is there an invisible spectre diminishing my property value that only my pup can detect? Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy is one of the most ingenious bump-in-the-night tinglers that you will ever see for how it transfers the scares to our furriest and most dependable allies.
When we tuck in for the night, it’s almost an unspoken rule that our dogs are our faithful security systems. It’s not uncommon for people to mention that they feel safer with their pets at their side, because they will cause enough of a ruckus if danger feels close. Just think about how our dogs bark and growl when the mailman arrives each day—it’s cliche for a reason. Leonberg’s star is Indy, the copper-coated Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever whose curiosity and bravery is found in his big, warm eyes. Move over, Jamie Leigh.
Indy’s bestest friend, Todd, has moved into an older house away from the city life that he grew up with, and almost immediately, Indy is wary of his new surroundings. He hears bumps, scratches, and disturbances after Todd has settled in for the night, but he’s also having bad dreams of a golden retriever who used to live there. Is the strange man on the property in the Ghillie suit a friend or a potential foe?
Leonberg depends on silences and our eyes having to adjust in the dark, and he will switch the perspective to being right behind our furry best friend to high above him where we might assume a ghost would float or appear. What could be perceived as a gimmick of perspective becomes alarmingly stressful. We always try to give our dogs whatever comforts we can, and they repay us with their unquestionable and unwavering love. To see Indy’s determination is pretty astounding Good Boy is a horror flick with unexpected heart. Trust me, I worried more about this pooch’s safety more than I ever did with the innumerable buxom co-eds that met their fate in any slasher or haunted house film. Many dogs have been heralded as the greatest dog performer of all time (RIP Uggie…move over Messi), but Indy grounds his owner’s film (Leonberg is Indy’s bestest friend) in ways that you may not expect.
What we might not expect is how much Leonberg’s film taps into a specific fear with our pets—something that we dare not confront until we absolutely have to. Good Boy is one of the year’s best surprises. It’s a horror film that taps into our biggest discomforts and truest fears.
Good Boy opens in theater on October 3.
