There’s an unspoken pact between horror movie fans and filmmakers: dogs are off-limits. But one movie sets those rules aside to put viewers on edge from the get-go: Good Boy. When you hear that a dog is the main character in a horror movie, you automatically get a pit in your stomach; at least, I do. The fate of “Man’s Best Friend” rarely ends well in a scary movie.
When the film was announced at SXSW, it caused quite a stir. This is the first time we’ve seen a haunted house horror film through a dog’s eyes. But don’t get it twisted. This isn’t some gimmick; it is a horror film. And it is designed to get viewers right in the feels. And there’s no better way to do that than by putting a dog in perceived danger. It’s pretty brilliant if you think about it. 66% of US homes have at least one dog. And most of those people look at them as “furbabies.” So, they are more prone to be concerned about a dog’s (any dog’s) welfare, real or not. I can confirm this as a dog mom of two (Freyja and Honey).
The Story
In Good Boy, the dog, Indy, and his human, Todd (Shane Jensen), seek refuge at Todd’s Grandfather’s cabin. However, Todd is oblivious that they aren’t alone, but Indy is very aware. We see the film’s horrors through Indy’s eyes as he experiences the haunting. It all begins in the first scene when Indy spots a shadowy figure in Todd’s bedroom, and the terror escalates from there as he can see things Todd can’t. Real life kicks in at this point. We’ve all seen our furry friends look at something we can’t see, refuse to go in an empty room, or bark at nothing. It makes you wonder.
Ben Leonberg is the director and producer of Good Boy and is Indy‘s real dad. He co-wrote the script with Alex Cannon. Indy, who has his own IMDb page (nice!), is joined by human cast members Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman, and Shane Jensen. Kari Fischer serves as producer, Indy’s real-life mom, wife to director Leonberg, and actress in the film.
Indy is a Very Good Boy
One remarkable aspect of the film’s production is that it was written and filmed around Indy and his talents. Needless to say, he is very clever and very well-trained. According to Leonberg, the film took a long time to make to make the movie, with just the last ten minutes taking a year to create and film. That’s serious dedication.
Although the release date for Good Boy has not yet been announced, I can guarantee that dog owners and horror fans, including this one, will be lined up to watch it. Make no bones about it.
