‘Good Boy’ review: Dog’s eye-view haunted house horror has plenty of bite

Dir: Ben Leonberg. US. 2025. 73mins

When a troubled young man decides to move to his late grandfather’s house in the rural American countryside, he’s hoping for something of a fresh start. But the demons that lurk in the dilapidated home prove to be more terrifying than the ones he’s trying to outrun. This may sound like a familiar genre premise – and indeed it would be, if not for the fact that haunted house horror Good Boy is told entirely from the point of view of the man’s loyal dog, Indy. In lesser hands, this could have been merely a gimmick but, with his feature debut, director Ben Leonberg delivers an effective, genuinely unsettling chiller.

An effective, genuinely unsettling chiller

Having premiered at SXSW, Good Boy – which was filmed over three years – has played mostly genre-skewing festivals including Sitges and Beyond Fest. It now opens in the US on October 3 (through IFC) and the UK on October 10 (via Vertigo), and Altitude has sold out international territories on the title. Strong word of mouth should stir healthy interest – particularly amongst genre fans who responded to Steven Soderbergh’s Presence, a haunting told through the eyes of a ghost – and it should have a long tail when it makes its eventual debut on Shudder.

Largely dialogue free and told entirely from Indy’s perspective – we never see the faces of the two human characters – Good Boy (not to be confused with Jan Komasa’s recent psychological thriller starring Stephen Graham) relies heavily on its canine protagonist’s considerable charm. With a deeply expressive face, and expertly trained by Leonberg and his wife, producer Kari Fischer – who own the dog in real life – Indy is immediately sympathetic as he sits lovingly with his owner Todd (Shane Jensen), who is obviously unwell.

After a hospital stay and an unspecified but serious illness, Todd decides to relocate to the isolated home of his late grandfather (played in flashback and the occasional vision by horror icon Larry Fessenden). Indy, of course goes with him – he has no choice in the matter – and its clear from the moment they arrive that the dog is deeply unsettled by something in the house.

The screenplay from Leonberg and Alex Cannon wisely keeps things simple and concise and, without much in the way of dialogue, craft elements come to the fore. Sam Boase-Miller’s soundtrack is a familiar but potent genre mix of taut strings, guttural tones and human voices, infused with heightened natural sounds – the creaking of trees, barely audible whispers. Atmospheric cinematography from Leonberg remains at dog height throughout, bringing a looming oppressiveness to the many gloomy corners and dark recesses of this ramshackle home. In the murky light, shadows seem to move, constantly catching Indy’s attention, and his scrabbling at the basement door is one of many red flag behaviours that Todd routinely ignores.

As Todd’s sister Vera (Arielle Friedman) – who calls regularly – grows increasingly concerned, Todd’s health begins to tank, his personality starts to fracture and Indy bears witness to increasingly bizarre events. No matter how bad things get, Indy remains resolutely loyal to Todd and refuses to leave his side – or, more specifically, he can’t, being the well-trained good boy he is. That Indy obviously has no idea what a haunting is, or the insidious nature of the danger he faces, brings a deep-rooted innocence and vulnerability that gives the film moments of genuine pathos.

There are also plenty of effective scares, largely of the slow-burn, use-your-imagination variety; a couple of jump moments are well-handled by editor Curtis Roberts. Indeed, editing is excellent throughout, seamlessly stitching together three years of footage and keeping Indy front and centre while encouraging the audience to keep their eye on what is happening at the edges of the frame. You know Indy certainly is.