Good Boy

When supernatural forces befall a man who has moved into a new home, only man's best friend and his undying loyalty can save him. With the horror playing out entirely from the perspective of Indy the Dog, Good Boy is a different kind of dog movie.

More than just a "dog horror" gimmick. Good Boy is the kind of film that can easily turn heads and raise eyebrows from just its one-line synopsis and canine lead. While it's enticing to think of Good Boy as a live-action take on Courage the Cowardly Dog (that freakishly brilliant animation that was too edgy for children on Cartoon Network), this Shudder release surpasses all preconceived tropes and gimmicks to deliver a fairly basic but highly original horror. At the core of the premise is an all-too-familiar haunted cabin in the woods, one that Indy and his faceless owner occupy. As this good boy's human descends into drug-fuelled madness and a The Shining-style generational curse, director Ben Leonberg ticks off familiar beats, but his pet dog (and leading "boy") and his inventive low-budget approach make Good Boy earn its treats. Borrowing the trick from animal-led cartoons, Good Boy hides its human characters to mere silhouettes, allowing its hair-shedding, tail-wagging hero to shine fully.

Goes without saying that dog-lovers and dog-owners would have the hardest time watching Good Boy. Indy the Dog (or "Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever" for the mutt nerds) is a genuinely emotional performer with Leonberg adequately zooming in on his expressive face from different angles, placing him in situations that gear towards fearful and tragic. Indy's cursed owner in the film might be losing his mind and triggering our unconventional hero's heightened senses, but his unwavering loyalty always comes in between. Indy's priority isn't just to survive the dim-lit, high-decibel chaos shadowing him but also to protect his human at all costs. Anxiety is bound to be felt with a couple of jump scares and moments that make you mutter, "don't kill the dog," but Good Boy thankfully doesn't resort to cheap shlock.

A basic narrative elevated by practical sets. Leonberg might not have entirely reinvented the haunted house horror shtick by humanizing his pet and giving him his movie star moment, but he still delivers a promising debut feature. The low budget and limited setting allow the newcomer to play around with all sorts of practical scenarios while ensuring his lead is safe and sound. It makes sense to desire a behind-the-scenes documentary that breaks down how the ragtag crew filmed a dog with less digital trickery. Barring a few very noticeable digital window crashes, CGI seems to be kept to a minimum around the dog. Air Bud, this is not, and Indy acts every bit like a paid actor, whether he's climbing down staircases, sniffing out ghosts, or pulling away from chained kennels. And at a crisp 74-minute runtime, the plot's limitations and vagueness are easy to ignore. Leonberg and Indy, we'll be waiting for what you bark up next.