‘Good Boy’: Surprisingly Creepy Haunted House Movie Features The Best Canine Performance Since ‘The Thing’ [SXSW 2025 Review]
If you had told me one of the creepiest and best movies of SXSW 2025 would be told exclusively through the perspective of a dog, I would have been intrigued but incredulous. On paper, it sounds like a gimmick that would quickly overstay its welcome. But with his innovative and experimental film Good Boy, co-writer and director Ben Leonberg proves that such an idea is more than a gimmick. Featuring a stellar performance by canine star Indy, Good Boy is a surprisingly poignant ghost story told through the eyes of man’s best friend.
Indy (Leonberg’s own dog) lives with his owner Todd, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. In an attempt at a change of pace, Todd takes Indy to the abandoned family farm where his grandfather (Larry Fessenden) used to live. As overheard during a phone call with Todd’s sister, the place even has a reputation for being haunted. But Todd shrugs off any stories and forges ahead with Indy in tow.
Almost immediately, Indy starts staring at empty corners and dark rooms, like dogs often do. But in Good Boy, Leonberg shows what Indy’s seeing and what he’s seeing is ready to consume Todd, body and soul. And yet, the dog has no way to warn Todd because, while this is a ghost story, Indy isn’t granted special abilities regarding speech or human communication. All he can do is watch as something stalks him and Todd with each passing night.
Also Read: Move Over, Art: ‘Clown In A Cornfield’ Is A Pitch-Perfect Teenage Slasher [SXSW 2025 Review]
Leonberg’s approach is smart, taking the bones and beats of the typical haunted house film but telling it solely through the eyes of a dog. He even obscures human faces so there’s no temptation to view the story from a human perspective. This is purely Indy’s story and how Leonberg imagines he would experience such terrifying circumstances. Leonberg even constructs canine dream sequences where Indy sees what happens to Todd’s deceased grandfather through the eyes of the grandfather’s loyal golden retriever. Indy has all of the human experiences seen in traditional ghost stories, which makes him feel like more than just an animal or sidekick. This is truly his movie.
That’s thanks to both an incredibly emotive dog and a skilled director who knows how to work with his canine companion. The way that the Indy is able to emote so effectively is in itself almost scary, on par with the husky in John Carpenter’s The Thing. But Leonberg goes a step further and makes you truly terrified about Indy’s fate as he’s yanked under beds, plagued by nightmares, and harassed by otherworldly forces. In horror, the dog either lives or dies. He isn’t tortured by an entity or made to feel prolonged fear. But Leonberg is changing the game in unexpected ways.
Also Read: ‘The Surrender’ Is A Harrowing Yet Familiar Look At The Hells of Grief [SXSW 2025 Review]
While the story feels familiar, it’s rendered scarier because only Indy can see the entity and he can’t speak or share his experience. He becomes an extreme version of the archetypal horror character who isn’t believed and is left alone in their fear. There’s nothing Indy can do to help his human and he’s incredibly helpless, which only gets progressively more upsetting as the entity takes hold of Todd. Indy has no idea how to call someone for advice or alert the authorities. These limitations make Good Boy all the scarier as it seems like nothing can be done to keep Indy and his person safe.
This makes up for, again, a familiar story that is rather threadbare. Yes, Leonberg reveals the most crucial information through phone calls with Todd’s sister or old VHS tapes featuring Todd’s grandfather. Those reveals aren’t necessarily earth-shattering, and you probably will find yourself with more questions than answers if you choose to really hone in on the story itself. Yes, plot simplicity does suit the very particular form, but with Leonberg unafraid to reveal certain pieces of information, why not go a little deeper?
Ultimately, Good Boy excels because it treats its canine hero like a human character without anthropomorphizing him. Indy experiences fear, anxiety, and sadness through Leonberg’s direction and strong visual storytelling. He truly feels like a person while acting like a dog, meaning that he doesn’t need a human voice or cartoonish or exaggerated expressions to convey emotional stakes and tell a deeply affecting story. Don’t let the gimmick fool you; Good Boy is primed to be one of the most chilling movies of 2025.
Summary
Don’t let the gimmick fool you; Good Boy is primed to be one of the most chilling movies of 2025.
Categorized:Reviews
