It’s often said that our pets have a sixth sense, seemingly able to detect things beyond our perception or even predict death. It’s a simple, though eerie explanation for the instances where we discover our beloved pup staring intently at an empty corner in the middle of the night or barking at nothing. Good Boy, the feature debut by director Ben Leonberg, who co-wrote the script with Alex Cannon, uses this phenomenon as the basis for his haunted house horror movie. Framing the story entirely from the perspective of man’s best friend poses unique storytelling challenges but instantly creates a sustained feeling of unease and anxiety over the pup’s wellbeing.
Good Boy opens with a conventional haunted house scene, as good pup Indy becomes alarmed by a strange, dark mood that’s pervaded the cramped living room quarters in the middle of the night. His owner, Todd (Shane Jensen), begins bleeding and seizing, revealing this unsettling crisis isn’t supernatural but medical. The seriousness of Todd’s illness soon prompts him to give up his apartment and relocate to his Grandpa’s (Larry Fessenden) abandoned country home, cursed and haunted, according to Todd’s sister Vera (Arielle Friedman). That illness also means that Todd doesn’t notice that something about the place is off, but Indy becomes acutely aware that they’re not alone as its haunted history makes itself known in increasingly alarming ways.
Leonberg smartly establishes the tight-knit bond between Indy and Todd through home video footage charting their life together from Indy’s puppyhood to the present, where the sweet and obedient good boy dotes on Todd’s every move. That he’s such a quiet dog, vocalizing through soft whimpers over barking, only further entrenches this tremendously talented canine actor into your heart. Leonberg further keeps focus on Indy by keeping the faces of his human characters mostly obscured. The effect, of course, is that it puts you deeply on edge, constantly stressed the more it becomes apparent that harm is on the way and that this home has tragically claimed the life of a beloved pet before.
As easy as Indy and his real-life owner, Leonberg, make it to follow the pup along on this dread-inducing journey, the ambitious high concept isn’t without its storytelling challenges when your lead protagonist can’t relay what he’s seeing. The only real clues behind this atypical haunting come via phone calls between Todd and Vera and old home videos featuring Grandpa. The rules to this world’s brand of ghosts are as murky as the ghosts themselves, and the metaphor behind them is sometimes at odds with the haunted house concept. Indy’s gentle nature sometimes softens the impact of the scares, even when you’re worried about his ultimate fate.
Still, it’s tough to care about the narrative details when you’ve got a lead as winsome and empathetic as Indy, who effortlessly leads you through right to the bittersweet conclusion, one that makes it nearly impossible not to walk away with an even deeper appreciation for the utter devotion and loyalty our furry best friends give to their human pack. Good Boy is packed with shadowed corners, flickering lights, tormented ghosts, and even doggy nightmares, but it’s not really a haunted house story. Instead, Leonberg crafts a thoughtful, unnerving, and heartrending portrayal of how utterly terrifying it can be for a dog when his whole world is upended and unable to understand why.
Good Boy made its world premiere at SXSW. Release info TBD.