On October 3rd, “Good Boy” debuted, an exciting and equally heartfelt horror movie. Featuring a completely new take on horror, the main protagonist is a dog, with the entire movie being through its perspective. The movie earned around $2.25 million, making it the Independent Film Company’s second best debut ever, and secured a spot in the top 10 best movies this weekend. Additionally, it was the director’s (Ben Leonberg) debut movie release, and a huge success. With a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, many viewers praised the movie’s unique perspective and the dog’s acting and said the movie was enjoyable despite the low budget of the film.
During the filming of the movie, much of the focus was on the dog, Indy, and its acting skills, which were praised by critics from the Box Office and Rotten Tomatoes. The training process for Indy (which is also his real name outside of the movie) was extremely long, as he was the director’s dog himself so it was important to be careful. Indy’s natural behaviors were observed for three years, allowing the movie to integrate his natural instincts such as his still gaze, with the cinematography and sounds using his expressions to make it look like the scene was scary and full of fear. Additionally, Indy was trained by his owner/director Ben Leonberg himself, being awarded with treats for following cues.
The plot of the movie follows the dog Indy and his owner Todd as they move into a new family home in a rural and empty area. However, it is soon discovered that the home is full of dark entities terrorizing and threatening Indy’s human companion. With only the help of himself, Indy must fight back to protect the ones he loves most. The plot is on the more basic side, similar to your classic horror movie plot. However, what really appeals to the viewers is how unique the movie is in terms of storytelling, as the entire story is told in the perspective of Indy and how he saves his owner, truly taking the movie to the next level. The movie stuck to the plot quite well (although it’s not a particularly hard plot to follow,) and did a great job showing the dog’s loyalty and love for his owner. Additionally, the movie still has good jump scares and scary elements and is also free of any gore for any sensitive viewers. However, the movie falls short in the worldbuilding element as the development of the supernatural entities and mystery leaves a lot to be desired. We don’t know too much about why they are haunting Indy’s owner or the house. Although the budget isn’t that of bigger horror movies such as “Conjuring: Last Rites,” or “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” I was able to put it past me after knowing it was the director’s first film, and the team does very well with the low budget and is still able to make you feel just as scared as any other big horror movie franchise can.
Overall, I rate the movie a 5 out of 5. Despite the low budget giving it a similar quality to that of a Youtube short horror film, it compensates for that with its unique perspective, Indy’s spectacular acting, and its heartfelt message about the bond between a dog and its owner.
