A Dog Becomes The Protagonist In This Weirdly Comforting Haunted House Horror Movie

Anyone who has ever had a pet has probably wondered what the world looks like through their eyes. How do they see us or the world around them? And what do they see when they stare into the empty corner of a room or a closet bathed in shadow? What might they be seeing that we aren’t? In Good Boy, that premise is taken to its logical extreme, with Indy, the cutest ghost hunter you’ve ever seen, protecting his owner, Todd (Shane Jensen), from a supernatural presence that only he can see.

Skinamarink by way of Flow, Good Boy is a fun genre exercise with an adorable protagonist. With its brisk runtime, the film wastes no time and, though it plays into genre tropes often, its premise is enough to make this film a compelling watch. The film ends up being surprisingly emotional thanks to its protagonist, though its lack of characterization of its human counterparts hurts the film’s climax just a bit.

Good Boy’s Conceit Allows For A Fun Take On Horror Genre Tropes

Indy Finds Himself In Some Sticky Situations

Good Boy follows Todd as he returns to the creepy and dilapidated family home that has been in his family for generations. He’s fleeing life in the city after some unnamed medical condition results in a scary trip to the emergency room. Todd’s sister Vera (Arielle Friedman) seems to be more concerned about Todd than he is about himself. Todd ignores her calls or leaves her talking on the phone while he gets out of the car to take a breather.

When Todd and Indy eventually arrive at the house, things seem to settle down. Todd can work on the house and Indy is excited to explore — except something isn’t quite right. Indy begins doing that thing that dogs do — staring into dark corners, refusing to go into certain rooms, or barking at unseen threats. It’s an experience all too familiar to many pet owners and Good Boy uses it to chilling effect.

Indy, who might be one of the greatest dog actors of all time, is used to great effect in the film. His modes of communication are immediate — soft whimpering indicating fear or sharp barks that make danger feel ever closer. We also explore Indy’s dreams and even sight and smell are used in effective ways — we never see Todd’s face, for example — that adds to the creativity of this perspective.

Good Boy relies on typical jumpscares for many of its scarier moments, but the film is much more effective when it’s atmospheric and moody rather than a straight-up haunted house horror show. It’s unclear if this could’ve been sustained over a longer runtime, but its shortened length and limited perspective makes Todd too much of a cipher to care deeply about what happens to him in the end.

Instead, it’s Indy’s response to what unfolds that manages to be the most effective. This may ultimately be the point, but I think this speaks to the limits of this premise in only seeing things through Indy’s eyes. Still, Good Boy‘s dedication to seeing it through is admirable, especially in an action-heavy finale that really manages to get the heart racing.

Even with its limits, Good Boy is a fine film, one that manages to feel both experimental and familiar in a way that’s comforting. It may sound strange to call a horror movie calming in that way, but even with its ghoulish twists and turns, there is real heart at the center of this film that makes it a worthwhile watch when it makes its way to screens. It feels like a perfect fit for something like Shudder, a movie you’d put on because of its unique premise and maybe find yourself watching something a little unexpected and a whole lot of fun.

Good Boy premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.

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Good Boy

6/10

Release Date

March 8, 2025

Pros & Cons

• Good Boy delivers on its premise to chilling effect
• Good Boy is atmospheric and moody

• We aren’t invested in what happens to Todd
• The film relies too much on jumpscares