‘Good Boy’ review: An astonishing dog is the hero and star o...

‘Good Boy’ review: An astonishing dog is the hero and star of horror thriller

The horror film Good Boy has such a blindingly simple, obvious story that you wonder why the film hasn’t been made before. The answer is apparent in the opening minutes. For a movie like Good Boy to exist, you need a staggering talent like Indy. The retriever with red tints on his coat emotes. He expresses love, concern and fear. He dreams. His moist nose, floppy ears and curious eyes detect supernatural beings that the human eye cannot see. All those legends about the sixth sense of dogs come true under Ben Leonberg’s clever direction. Indy – which is also the canine performer’s real name – moves with his ailing owner Todd (Shane Jensen) to the family’s ancestral house on the edge of a remote forest. Indy senses trouble as soon as his paws hit the creaking wooden floor. Something is out there that can potentially harm Todd, visible only to his loyal pet. A suitably eerie score by Sam Boase-Miller accompanies Indy as he investigates the house’s underlit corners, the basement and the woods beyond. Leonberg’s debut feature, starring his own pet, is possibly one of the finest explorations of the relationship between humans and dogs. Co-written with Alex Cannon, Good Boy is a crisp, efficient and effective thriller with ample creepiness and a mesmerising four-legged hero. Doubling up as cinematographer and editor, Leonberg never once anthropomorphises Indy while also showing exactly how a dog might behave when confronted with strange events. Leonberg often crouches down to peer over Indy’s shiny coat as he patters about the house. We also see Indy using his hunting skills to sniff out the malevolent presence – tense, frightened and yet dauntless. The perspective entirely belongs to Indy. Even the few humans are seen as Indy might see them. Todd himself is a tall, most faceless shape, defined by endearments, hugs and the occasional scolding. Good Boy has the good sense to restrict itself to 73 minutes, almost entirely devoted to a pure, innocent and heartbreakingly dedicated beast. Indy’s performance leaves Messi from Anatomy of a Fall (2023) behind. Above all else, the movie is perfectly titled.

The retriever with red tints on his coat emotes. He expresses love, concern and fear. He dreams. His moist nose, floppy ears and curious eyes detect supernatural beings that the human eye cannot see. All those legends about the sixth sense of dogs come true under Ben Leonberg’s clever direction.

Indy – which is also the canine performer’s real name – moves with his ailing owner Todd (Shane Jensen) to the family’s ancestral house on the edge of a remote forest. Indy senses trouble as soon as his paws hit the creaking wooden floor.

Something is out there that can potentially harm Todd, visible only to his loyal pet. A suitably eerie score by Sam Boase-Miller accompanies Indy as he investigates the house’s underlit corners, the basement and the woods beyond.

Leonberg’s debut feature, starring his own pet, is possibly one of the finest explorations of the relationship between humans and dogs. Co-written with Alex Cannon, Good Boy is a crisp, efficient and effective thriller with ample creepiness and a mesmerising four-legged hero.

Doubling up as cinematographer and editor, Leonberg never once anthropomorphises Indy while also showing exactly how a dog might behave when confronted with strange events. Leonberg often crouches down to peer over Indy’s shiny coat as he patters about the house. We also see Indy using his hunting skills to sniff out the malevolent presence – tense, frightened and yet dauntless.

The perspective entirely belongs to Indy. Even the few humans are seen as Indy might see them. Todd himself is a tall, most faceless shape, defined by endearments, hugs and the occasional scolding.

Good Boy has the good sense to restrict itself to 73 minutes, almost entirely devoted to a pure, innocent and heartbreakingly dedicated beast. Indy’s performance leaves Messi from Anatomy of a Fall (2023) behind. Above all else, the movie is perfectly titled.