This wonderful midnighter entry asks, Have you ever wondered why your dog has fixated on something that doesn’t appear to the human eyes? Director Ben Leonberg painstakingly offers a possible answer to this question with a horror-thriller that follows a dog’s experiences as he notices a malevolent force threatens his beloved owner. The director’s dog, Indy, is the star of this movie and carries this film beautifully, as his owners (Leonberg and his partner) went through the arduous process of training him to have the appropriate responses to what the story demands.
As his owner is struggling with an illness, his canine companion, Indy, has always remained loyal at his side. After dealing with the stress of his relationship and career, Indy’s owner, Todd, decides that he needs some time away from it all, and the two drive to his family’s property in a cabin in the woods. While there, Indy begins noticing that the house may be haunted by both the ghosts of the past and an evil force that craves to devour any human life living there.
As someone who loves pets, particularly dogs, I was blown away by how well this movie works. Had this been a film done by a major studio, I probably would not have been as wowed. However, Good Boy is an indie feature that involved a lot of hard work and extensive training of a dog star who had never undergone or experienced any previous work in cinema. In addition to celebrating the tremendous performance by Indy, I must also celebrate the hard work and difficulties it took to capture such outstanding acting for this powerful movie.
Ben Leonberg and his crew do an exceptional job of creating the mood, building the tension, and delivering the palpable frights that this movie succeeds in offering. I also have much praise for Indy as a canine actor. He truly is a Good Boy.