Good Boy
It warms my heart to know that, in the annals of horror movie dogs, Indy might take a spot alongside Cujo in names that horror fans think of. While not entirely seen from Indy’s perspective, Ben Leonberg does lean into his canine star’s point-of-view to create a thriller that, while fairly monotonous, nonetheless exerts a hold. Dogs are held up as “Man’s Best Friend,” and in the case of Indy, that could not be more true.
Indy and his master, Todd (Shane Jensen), move out to a family home in a rural part of New York. Todd has health issues, so he’s hoping that the fresh air- such as it is- might do him well, but his sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman), is concerned. It was in this house where their grandfather died, and Vera thinks it is haunted. She might be on to something. Almost immediately after they arrive, Indy begins to see unnatural shapes and figures, and starts to dream. Indy never tries not to leave Todd’s side, but sometimes, the forces surrounding the house are too strong. There is a family friend, a hunter named Richard (Stuart Rudin), nearby, but that just means more potential dangers for Indy outside of the house.
The lack of true dialogue in Leonberg and Alex Cannon’s screenplay is to the film’s benefit, and helps heighten our feelings that this is a film from Indy’s perspective. It’s not straight-up POV a la “Nickel Boys,” though, and that is to Leonberg’s credit as director and cinematographer. The way that he follows Indy through this story keeps him in the screen- partially or entirely- at every moment, and Indy is a natural on camera. Leonberg’s cinematography isn’t perfect, however; the lighting is way too dark during several of the night scenes, making it extremely difficult for some of the horror to land. What always lands, however, is our empathy with Indy, and his connection to Todd. We see flashbacks of him with Todd as he’s getting an MRI, and denied for a clinical trial for his condition, and it only increases our sense of this bond, and makes the ending all the more emotional as a result.
In movies, we’ve been conditioned to naturally care about whether a dog lives or dies in a movie- the old adage is, if the dog dies, you lose the audience. Rest assured, Indy survives “Good Boy,” but it’s not an easy task. Whether by supernatural forces or man-made challenges, he is put through the ringer. But Indy stays true to himself, and to his master, and that is where “Good Boy” finds its strength as a film experience.
