Good Boy
Indy (Indy), a rust colored retriever with a white stripe down his face and chest, white paws and a liver colored nose, lies sleeping at his master, Todd's (Shane Jensen), feet when he's startled awake by Todd's cell phone buzzing. There's a call coming in from Vera (Arielle Friedman), Todd's sister, but when Indy tries to alert him, drops of blood fall from the man's nose onto the screen. As Todd battles a serious illness, upsetting Vera by retreating from the city to the rural home where their grandfather (indie horror stalwart Larry Fessenden) died, Indy senses something frightening but is determined to stay by Todd's side. Indy is a "Good Boy."
Laura's Review: A-
Cowriter (with his shorts collaborator Alex Cannon)/director/cinematographer Ben Leonberg and his producer wife have created a startlingly original and technically astounding new film by coaxing their dog, Indy, to perform various poses and project certain expressions on a closed set, editing that performance into their supernatural narrative with chilling, and ultimately moving, effect. Human characters are heard more than seen as we experience everything from Indy's point of view, the effect not unlike the adults in a Peanuts animation, faces mostly obscured. The main exception is Grandpa, seen on old VHS tapes Todd finds in his old house playing with the dog which was never found after his death.
We'll witness Todd leaving a rehab facility, Vera having come to pick him up with Indy in her car before the scene changes to a different car, Todd now driving while telling a distraught Vera where he's headed. She objects, stating that the house is haunted and not near a doctor, but he fluffs off her concerns. When they arrive, Indy doesn't want to get out of the car. Once inside the old home, Todd has to deal with power issues, going down into the basement where he notes an awful smell. Indy investigates cautiously, often staring into corners and whining. Leonberg shares a low angle shot of the house's nighttime exterior, evoking "The Evil Dead."
In the autumn daytime the following day, Todd takes Indy to the cemetery and we see a disturbing figure approaching from behind. The bizarre forest creature first seen by the dog turns out to be Richard (Stuart Rudin, "The Silence of the Lambs"), a neighbor out hunting in a gilly suit. He offers Todd a generator, which the younger man gratefully accepts, but when he powers it up that evening, illuminating the woods beside the house, Indy whines. The dog will be even more upset the next day when Todd inexplicably leaves him alone in the house all day. Then Indy finds the red bandana seen on Grandpa's dog, which looks just like him, before receiving a spectral visitation from the dog itself. Todd returns with a large gauze bandage on his arm, retiring to bed and pushing Indy away.
After being astounded by Bing's performance as Apollo in "The Friend" earlier this year, I didn't think it would be possible for another animal to look like he was acting, but Indy's performance is even more impressive given his constant presence on the screen, the dog seeming to react not only fearfully to eerie supernatural occurrences, but emotionally to his master's spiraling condition. Indy even gets a credible flashback at a critical moment. That's some fine direction. Also impressive is Leonberg's camerawork, Indy beautifully lit and always visible, even in shadow and darkness. Editing is also masterful, essential to the story's creation and stunning in a match cut that transports the dog from outside back into the house.
Sam Boase-Miller's score features violins skittering over deep strokes of cello, deepening the tension, especially when Indy is chained outside in a rainstorm, the dog standing atop a doghouse the better to view the upper story window where his master is. The film's final scene is indelible, a multi-generational heartbreaker. "Good Boy" gives us a dog's eye view of a frightening world and the bravery inspired by the love of man's best friend.
Robin's Review: A-
Todd (Shane Jensen) suffers from the same lung disease that killed his grandfather. He secludes himself on his grandpa’s abandoned estate with his faithful dog, Indy (Indy), but there is another, malevolent presence and Indy senses it in “Good Boy.”
Just released from the hospital with an unspecified disease – we do know it killed his grandpa (Larry Fessenden in flashback) – Todd tells his sister Vera (Arielle Friedman) that he “needs a break.” He takes his best friend, Indy, to granddad’s remote old home, but the dog immediately senses that something is badly amiss in the possibly haunted house.
Director and co-writer (with Alex Cannon) Ben Leonberg creates a horror movie-ghost story that is more psychological than horrific. Indy senses a presence in the old house and his senses are on full alert to protect his human. But, the filmmakers do not get us lost in a conventional horror flick. It is through the eyes of our little hero, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, but also through his senses.
Indy knows something bad is there and can only do his best to protect Todd. But, his master’s disease becomes all consuming and Todd withdraws more and more into himself, ignoring worried calls from Vera. Indy senses that something is very wrong and lurking just out of his sight. The dog’s response is to go into high alert to protect Todd from the “thing.”
I think that I have seen the best canine performance of our modern time with Indy, on screen virtually every moment of the film’s lean 72 minutes. The handsome pooch has an expressive and inquisitive face and body language. Director Leonberg is Indy’s real life human and the obvious bond between the two helps elicit an amazing story of love. He is, indeed, a good boy!
Independent Film Company releases "Good Boy" in theaters on 10/3/25.
