Good Boy Review

I’m not opening with a quote from the movie being reviewed this time, primarily because the star of the movie is a dog. Not a CGI dog, not an animatronic dog, but an actual dog. And that’s just one of the things that makes this horror movie truly unique.

As regular readers will know, I’m always looking for horror movies with a new angle. Show me something I haven’t seen, and I’m likely to be happy. The trouble is, having watched a steady diet of horror movies over more than half a century, originality seems harder to come by – but to be honest, this is one of the most original movies I’ve seen in a long time. (And it’s been a great year for cinematic horror.)

As ever, in the interests of total, upfront honesty I’ll confess that when I heard about a horror film being produced starring a dog – I didn’t think I’d be going to see it, like many other horror fans. They can do whatever they like to humans, but damn it – don’t you DARE harm the dog. I was gladdened to see a groundswell of reaction from similar minded fans. To the extent a well-publicised statement of reassurance had to be put out by the director, Ben Leonberg whose dog stars in the film, thus avoiding a total boycott of the movie.

Yes, that’s the second time I’ve referred to a dog being the star – and it’s completely true. Indy receives top billing and deservedly so. A reviewer for IndieWire has called him the most emotive actor of the year, and I agree. He delivers an astounding performance for a dog that isn’t a trained performer. (This is the reason the production took 400 days to film.)

Let’s take a look at the plot. Todd (Shane Jensen) is Indy’s owner and is suffering from lung cancer, and leaves New York to live in his late grandfather’s rural cabin in the woods. Vera is Todd’s sister who continually checks up on him via phone, believes the cabin to be haunted and a contributory factor to the old man’s death.

As soon as they arrive at the cabin, Indy detects dark, supernatural forces at work, which Todd can’t see, hear or sense. So, this becomes the story of a brave dog looking after his human.

The running time is 73 minutes which is abnormally short for a theatrical release these days, but due to the film’s pace which is dictated by the editing, it’s as long as it needs to be. There’s never a dull moment and there’s absolutely no padding.

Apart from having a canine headliner and a short running time, another factor that adds to the over unusual feel of the film is that apart from an establishing montage of home movies showing Indy as a pup, the story is told entirely from Indy’s level. We either see things unfold from Indy’s view, or the camera is set low down and fixed on Indy as he reacts to something he’s seeing or experiencing. The humans in the film can only be seen from the waist down, unless they’re in a long shot. We only really see Todd’s face in the last reel.

Apart from this approach, the cinematography on view here is truly breathtaking, giving a full sense of a damp, cold forest with an autumnal feel. With the subdued lighting in the cabin and the low angle of the camera, there’s a real sense of intangible menace that pervades throughout the film.

This is a completely unique horror experience.

Before I get to the Rob Rating, if you feel the need, scroll down and there’s a pretty big spoiler if you’re still on the fence about seeing the movie. Usual Spoiler Zone rules apply, okay? If you don’t want to know, don’t scroll.

Rob Rating = 9

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The dog survives, unharmed.