I’m a cat person, but I like other people’s dogs. Well, I like other people’s dogs just as long as I’m not staying the night in their home. It’s weird for both me and the dog, and I can feel that tension during the visit. The dog actually lives there, plus he or she has sharper teeth than I do.
Let’s see what the fine folks at Wikipedia have to say about this movie (please donate to them if you can):
Good Boy is a 2025 American supernatural horror film directed by Ben Leonberg, who co-wrote it with Alex Cannon. It stars Leonberg’s dog Indy alongside Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, and Larry Fessenden. The film follows Indy as he attempts to rescue his owner, a young man with a chronic lung disease, who is engulfed by a supernatural presence lurking in his late grandfather’s rural home.
The film marks the feature-length directorial debut of Leonberg, who conceived the idea after re-watching Poltergeist (1982) and noting the horror trope of dogs sensing the presence of ghosts before humans. He decided to write a traditional haunted house film from the perspective of a dog. Leonberg and Cannon began writing the script in 2017, emphasizing action and perspective over dialogue to reflect the dog’s point of view. Indy had no prior acting experience when Leonberg cast him in the lead role. The film was shot over a three-year period in Harding Township, New Jersey, with both Leonberg and Wade Grebnoel serving as cinematographers. Only Indy, Leonberg, and Leonberg’s wife Kari Fischer (who produced the film alongside Leonberg) were present on set for much of the shoot.
Good Boy premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival on March 8, and was released theatrically in the United States by Independent Film Company and Shudder on October 3. It received generally positive reviews, with praise for its ambitious concept, technical craftsmanship, visual style, emotionally resonant themes, and Indy’s performance. However, some were critical of the storytelling, citing a convoluted narrative and pacing issues. The film was a commercial success, grossing $8.7 million on a $70,000 budget.
The Rev-iew…
This is another one of those movies that came and went in 2025 while I was suffering from some new strain of COVID. I’d purchased a ticket, I just couldn’t find the strength to get to the theater. To boot, I hate watching new films when I’m sick. From that moment on, I’ll be reminded of feeling badly whenever I try to enjoy that film again. For validation, just ask Rise of Skywalker. Don’t worry; I watched it again as soon as I got better, and let’s not have that discussion tonight. Somehow, Palpatine returned.
As luck would have it, this film began playing in my favorite theater: home. The snacks are cheaper, the projectionist works with my urination schedule, and they don’t complain if I spark a little tree in the parking lot as a pre-show appetizer. If it’s worth watching, I probably own it.
Being one of the more interesting offerings of 2025, and there were a TON of horror films last year, I avoided all my favorite YouTube reviewers’ opinions with plague doctor level precautions. Also, I deleted my almost twenty year old Facebook account. Now there are zero film spoilers unless I go looking for them. I went into Good Boy completely blind. Color blind?
Not only is this an indie film, but it’s the director’s feature debut. That’s a lot of pressure for someone to endure, having recently followed Chris Stuckman go from page to finished project with Shelby Oaks. That said, Ben Leonberg draws from some masterful work. He mentions 82’s Poltergeist publicly, but I picked up on minimalized, simplistic tension in the same style as The Blair Witch Project and the original Paranormal Activity. Some of my favorite horror films subscribe to the “less is more” genre.
If you’ve read this review from the top, then you already know more about this movie than I did. I was under the impression that it was a home invasion film; I had no idea it was a haunted house flick! A welcomed surprise, considering how much chatter there was about this film on horror social media.
So, since it was a ghost movie, that placed it on an entirely different shelf of judgement. I really appreciated the subtlety of the paranormal experiences rather than going for a full on The Conjuring or Insidious style. Somebody involved with this project has dealt with actual shadow people before, because they portrayed them realistically and to the letter. That’s another discussion for another time, but I know those details to be one hundred percent factual.
Finally, we must discuss the star of the film: Indy. Named after famed, fictional archeologist Indiana Jones, this dog was believable from beginning to end. I’m sure it helped that he was quite familiar with the crew, but this animal was phenomenal. Most films nowadays would just choose to recreate the dog in CGI, but not on this $80,000 budget! Good dog, good dog. Fetch my wallet.
I could’ve seen this film overstaying its welcome if it were any longer, but it clocks in at a meager one hour and thirteen minutes. Not once does it feel gimmicky, and the scares are spaced out enough to lull you into a false sense of security. It’s not necessary for the villain to live in your face the entire runtime, although there are quite a few “blink and you’ll miss it” moments. We, as an audience, need time to breathe, but not too much. There’s a balance.
It isn’t Sinners, nor is it Weapons, but it doesn’t try to be. This is something new. It’s a simple, heart-warming short-story come to life via the talents of a magical quadruped. Since it premiered last year, it falls under last year’s rules. Sinners was by far the only five-star film of 2025 in my mind, meaning everything else registers as a four-star or below. This is very easily a four star film, or paws if you wish. Perfect for a fun, work-night quickie.
Now, can we have the cat movie?
****
The Gonzo Wolf 
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