Horror Movie Review: Good Boy (2025)

Indy isn’t just a good boy. He is the best boy. Delivering a jaw-dropping performance, often in challenging circumstances, and leaving the viewer overcome with emotion. Good Boy sells itself on the fact that a dog named Indy is the star and the horror story here is told from his perspective, and that is what director/writer (alongside Alex Cannon), Ben Leonberg delivers.

A frightening, intriguing, and highly watchable supernatural horror that also deals with real life issues around long-term illness and impending death. Albeit with a looseness that makes the overall story somewhat intangible. As much as I liked Good Boy, and I really did, I can’t help but wish that the story was tighter and better focused.

Have you ever wondered why your dog is staring at a corner of the room? Have you ever felt a sense of unease as your dog barks at seemingly nothing? Have you ever felt like your dog is protecting you from the bottom of your bed?

That is what Good Boy explores as Indy and his owner, Todd (Shane Jensen) move into an old and isolated family house that may be home to something demonic. If this wasn’t a big enough issue for Indy to deal with, Todd is sick, and this illness makes him easy fodder for the evil that lives in the cold walls that once belonged to his grandfather.

Indy has no idea what is going on, he just knows that something is out to get Todd, and he will do anything it takes to save him, even if it makes him a target too.

It’s a heart-warming and heart-wrenching character story that shows us just how strong the bond between a person and a dog can be. Indy isn’t fearless, he isn’t a super dog, but he loves Todd. I’ve never seen a dog as expressive as this. Where every reaction, every tail wag, every cock of the head, every whine or growl, tells us something about how Indy is feeling. He is the star and he shines, but all because he is real. This isn’t a hyperbolic version of a dog’s behaviour. In fact, in one scene Indy gets so scared that he pees himself and hides under the bed, but worried for Todd, effectively coaxes himself out to confront the sinister presence. It’s outstanding stuff and makes him one of the most endearing and charismatic characters in horror.

Indy is supported by an excellent cast of human characters too. Where even though their faces are kept in the shadows and the film is viewed from Indy’s height, they have distinct personalities. No spoilers but a scene at the end between Todd, when we fully see his face, and Indy is so powerful. Credit to Shane Jensen, who really makes the bond between he and Indy believable too.

It needed to work, otherwise the supernatural elements and the horror around them would have fallen flat. Even though it’s where the movie’s biggest flaws are exposed.

From the moment Indy and Todd move into the house, you can feel a sense of oppression and conversations with his sister (Arielle Friedman), as well as home videos recorded by his grandfather, tell us that this house is cursed. Unfortunately, this is an area that is only vaguely touched upon and by the end, lacks much needed clarity. What is the curse? How does it manifest, and what does it want?

It’s all too ambiguous and even though the film is dripping in dark atmosphere and there are one or two excellent jump scares, it’s easily the aspect of the film that lets it down. Enough to ruin it? Absolutely not, as there are elements that you can interpret as you wish and there are definitely some allegorical links to illness and death.

Good Boy is a film that will be remembered not for its supernatural scares and horror, but for its portrayal of the relationship between a person and a dog, and the star-making performance of its lead, Indy. Not just a good boy, but the best boy.