MOVIE REVIEW: GOOD BOY

 

A man moves into a new home that has supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities start to threaten him, his brave dog comes to the rescue.

Director: Ben Leonberg

Cast: Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden, Indy as himself

Release Date: October 3, 2025

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for terror, bloody images and strong language.

Runtime: 1h 13m

Review:

Ben Leonberg's feature film directorial debut, Good Boy, is an impressive cinematic magic trick that effectively places you in a dog’s point of view as he watches his owner slowly succumbs to an evil entity in a haunted house.  Leonberg meticulously crafts his film by using a bevy of perspective shots to give Indy a palpable sense of emotions as he experiences the increasingly bizarre happenings occurring in the house.  The haunted house in the wood’s setting is a classic horror movie trope but by changing the perspective it feels fresh for the better part of the film’s efficient runtime.  Things unfold how you’d expect in most of these stories, but Leonberg has a solid sense of how to set up atmosphere and build tension to deliver a handful of well-timed frights that’s sure to make more than a few people jump in their seats.  A handful of wonderfully shot doggy nightmares have a mesmerizing effect that’ll leave you wondering what your dog is really dreaming about when they’re rustling around.  The general plot is related to overheard second hand conversations between Shane Jensen’s Todd and his sister Vera played by Arielle Friedman as we learn tidbits about his failing health and their tragic family history.  It would have been easy to simply rely on the central gimmick and deliver a barebones story, ala 2024’s  In A Violent Nature, but there’s enough heft to this story that it would have worked as a straight forward haunted house film.  What Leonberg is able to do with his real-life dog, Indy, is nothing short of amazing as the countless hours of shooting to get the right look or reaction from his canine star pays off in spades.  Indy is a rather adorable golden retriever which will instantly have you engaged in his long-term well-being, especially as things get precariously more dangerous.  He’s an incredibly engaging leading man in spite of the fact that he can’t speak which is a testament to Good Boy’s production and Leonberg’s masterful direction.    

A