Spooky Season Reviews: Good Boy

It is a rare thing, after a lifetime of reading, watching, and writing horror, that I encounter something that is a unique, original take on an existing trope. That is, however, precisely the case with Good Boy, IFC and Shudder's indie horror film taken from the perspective of a dog. It is not only legitimately creepy but also an innovative take on the haunted house trope, well-crafted and effective.

The film follows Todd, a young man obviously sick from some kind of lung infection, and his adorable Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Indy as they move out into the country into a long-unoccupied family home that belonged to Todd's grandfather. It doesn't take long for Todd's health to deteriorate and Indy to realize there is something very wrong with the house.

Taken from Indy's perspective as he sees shadows and hears phantom noises, the horror of the film works on the classic premise of less is more. As Indy's perceptions, or at least his ability to express them, are limited, the viewer isn't given unnecessary exposition about the house, the family history, even Todd himself. The film has a found footage film feel as a result; while we get snippets of the past and what has happened in the house, we are left to put it together much in the same way Indy does as his person's health continues to degrade and he increasingly becomes entrapped by whatever malevolent (and gooey) entity inhabits the house.

The strength of the film also lends to its greatest weakness. Given the lack of dialogue and human interaction, the character development and context is weak, and yet at times, that is precisely what makes it scary. What it lacks in character, it makes up for in good old-fashioned horror movie techniques. The movie is well shot and well-crafted, with a good combination of slow-burn creepiness and jump scares.

Directed by Ben Leonberg and shot over three years in his own home with his own dog (revealed in a sort of "thank you" post-credits scene for seeing the movie on the big screen), is an even greater achievement given its lack of crew and budget. Given its cost to make the film is considered a hit, and thus, we're likely to see more Animal POV Horror soon.

Animal-loving viewers be warned: the movie, at the core of which is a love story between a dog and its person, pulls at the heartstrings, and viewers will be on the edge of their seats in the moments when the ghost, monster, or whatever it is, comes after Indy. My advice, cover your eyes and ears and plow forward til the end. Its a scary good ride that's worth taking.