Written by: Josh "The Merc" Raynor
For centuries, it has been said that dogs can sense both sickness and the paranormal, that they’re attuned to things that elude human perception. In Ben Leonberg’s feature directorial debut, Good Boy, that belief becomes the film’s central theme, its emotional core, and from the powerful opening scene, we are shown how sensitive to the world around us (seen and unseen) dogs can be. This is portrayed in such a perfect way with the help of some incredible cinematography and a tense, nail-biting score. The filmmakers do such a great job at hooking the audience and making us guess about what exactly is going on.
Good Boy is a breath of fresh air in the horror genre. It’s a surprisingly intimate story about a man and his beloved dog, but it goes so much farther than that. The way it dives into debilitating illness and how that can cause a person to change is fascinating, especially seeing it all from the perspective of a dog.
The dog in question, Leonberg’s real-life pet retriever named Indy, gives such an incredible performance in this film. We see all of Indy’s feelings and reactions right on display—his confusion about what’s going on around him, his protectiveness of his owner Todd, his fear of what he’s seeing that no one else does—and it makes the audience really root for him, and by connection, for Todd.
The story keeps us guessing, making us wonder if all of this is real, or just how Indy is interpreting what’s going on. We are given subtle clues throughout, which helps build the tension around the initial ambiguity of the situation. So much so that when we get to the third act, there’s still a lingering wonder about whether or not any of this is actually real. It’s a fascinating way to deliver a story and has kept me thinking about it since I first watched it, over a week ago. That’s something I love about great films like this; it can keep you enthralled even long after the credits have rolled.
Another aspect of this film that I loved was how the human characters throughout were downplayed, to the point that you barely ever see their faces. It allows the story to truly focus on Indy’s experience and helps you to connect with the dog on a deeper level. We get to see how his and Todd’s relationship begins to erode due to everything that’s going on, and how loyal Indy remains. He truly is a good boy.
I only had a couple of gripes when it came to this film, the first and foremost being the lighting. Throughout the film, most of the scenes are at night, in the dark, and I don’t know if it was my screen (I tried brightening it and adjusting the contrast) but it was very difficult at times to see what was going on. I’m not sure if that was on purpose or not, possibly as a way to keep the audience a bit unsettled by not knowing exactly what’s out there, but it was frustrating at times.
The other issue I had was that part of me thinks the ending should’ve been more ambiguous. The whole film kept you guessing as to whether this was real or not, but then the third act seemingly gives a direct answer to that question. And while I don’t think it was a bad ending by any means, I actually really like how it was handled, I can’t help but wonder if it would have been even better had it remained more of a mystery.
Good Boy isn’t just a great horror movie, it’s a beautiful commentary on loyalty, fear, and vulnerability, and even though it’s all from a dog’s perspective, I still think these are things we can connect with on a human level.
So, if you’re a horror fan who is looking for something more than just your typical jump scare horror, something that will make you think and feel, then I highly recommend checking out Good Boy as soon as you’re able.
Good Boy will be in US theaters on October 3, and UK theaters on October 10.
The Merc’s Score: 9/10
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