A Canine Turns into The Protagonist In This Weirdly Comforting Haunted Home Horror Film

This evaluate was initially printed on March 8, 2025, as part of the SXSW Movie & TV Competition.

Anybody who has ever had a pet has in all probability puzzled what the world seems to be like via their eyes. How do they see us or the world round them? And what do they see once they stare into the empty nook of a room or a closet bathed in shadow? What may they be seeing that we aren’t? In Good Boy, that premise is taken to its logical excessive, with Indy, the cutest ghost hunter you’ve got ever seen, defending his proprietor, Todd (Shane Jensen), from a supernatural presence that solely he can see.

Skinamarink by means of Stream, Good Boy is a enjoyable style train with an lovely protagonist. With its brisk runtime, the movie wastes no time and, although it performs into style tropes typically, its premise is sufficient to make this movie a compelling watch. The movie finally ends up being surprisingly emotional because of its protagonist, although its lack of characterization of its human counterparts hurts the movie’s climax only a bit.

Good Boy’s Conceit Permits For A Enjoyable Take On Horror Style Tropes

Indy Finds Himself In Some Sticky Conditions

Good Boy follows Todd as he returns to the creepy and dilapidated household residence that has been in his household for generations. He is fleeing life within the metropolis after some unnamed medical situation ends in a scary journey to the emergency room. Todd’s sister Vera (Arielle Friedman) appears to be extra involved about Todd than he’s about himself. Todd ignores her calls or leaves her speaking on the cellphone whereas he will get out of the automotive to take a breather.

When Todd and Indy ultimately arrive on the home, issues appear to cool down. Todd can work on the home and Indy is happy to discover — besides one thing is not fairly proper. Indy begins doing that factor that canines do — staring into darkish corners, refusing to enter sure rooms, or barking at unseen threats. It is an expertise all too acquainted to many pet homeowners and Good Boy makes use of it to chilling impact.

Indy, who is likely to be one of many biggest canine actors of all time, is used to nice impact within the movie. His modes of communication are fast — mushy whimpering indicating concern or sharp barks that make hazard really feel ever nearer. We additionally discover Indy’s goals and even sight and odor are utilized in efficient methods — we by no means see Todd’s face, for instance — that provides to the creativity of this attitude.

Good Boy‘s dedication to seeing it via is admirable, particularly in an action-heavy finale that basically manages to get the guts racing.

Good Boy depends on typical jumpscares for a lot of of its scarier moments, however the movie is far more efficient when it is atmospheric and moody relatively than a straight-up haunted home horror present. It is unclear if this might’ve been sustained over an extended runtime, however its shortened size and restricted perspective makes Todd an excessive amount of of a cipher to care deeply about what occurs to him in the long run.

As an alternative, it is Indy’s response to what unfolds that manages to be the simplest. This may occasionally in the end be the purpose, however I feel this speaks to the boundaries of this premise in solely seeing issues via Indy’s eyes. Nonetheless, Good Boy‘s dedication to seeing it via is admirable, particularly in an action-heavy finale that basically manages to get the guts racing.

Even with its limits, Good Boy is a effective movie, one which manages to really feel each experimental and acquainted in a approach that is comforting. It might sound unusual to name a horror film calming in that approach, however even with its ghoulish twists and turns, there’s actual coronary heart on the heart of this movie that makes it a worthwhile watch when it makes its strategy to screens. It appears like an ideal match for one thing like Shudder, a film you’d placed on due to its distinctive premise and possibly end up watching one thing just a little sudden and a complete lot of enjoyable.

Good Boy premiered on the 2025 SXSW Movie & TV Competition and can launch in theaters on October 3.