Indy knows there’s something out there. Photograph: Courtesy of Ben Leonberg. An Independent Film Company and Shudder Release. / Click to view the trailer. / DISCLAIMER: Believe the dog. Not the hype.
It’s difficult to watch a dog endure suffering he can sense all around him. Although the film runs for only 72 minutes, it feels like an eternity. Good Boy could just as well be called Bad Director. A dark film with one genuine star.
Todd (Shane Jensen), Indy’s master, is dying of a chronic lung disease, while the loyal Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever sees evil spirits lurking around their isolated country home in the forest. He tries to hide from them with little luck, while his master repeatedly shouts between coughs, “Stay! There’s nothing out there.”
American short-film director Ben Leonberg tests the waters with his first feature-length film, a directorial debut that sinks.
In Good Boy, the genuine scares are few. It’s wrapped in darkness and rain and enveloped in a piercing soundtrack of atonal shrieks and creaks from out-of-tune strings.
Todd’s face is unlit for most of the movie. I don’t know why, as this makes him seem like a more menacing monster of a master than he really is. That said, the darkness draws more attention to Indy’s serious expression and aimless roaming.
Filming took place over 400 production days across three years, as the crew waited to capture Indy’s genuine canine expressions and natural behaviour.
The good news is that Indy is Leonberg’s real-life pet, so at least the two got some time to mess around together.
‘Good Boy’ is an official selection at the 39th Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy.
FILM DETAILS
Title: Good Boy
Year: 2025
Running time: 72 minutes
Director: Ben Leonberg
Cast: Indy, Larry Fessenden, Shane Jensen
Screenwriters: Alex Cannon, Ben Leonberg
