Good Boy (2025) Film Review: Creepy haunted house horror featuring a top dog performance

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Indy, a loyal Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, moves to a rural family home with his owner, Todd (Shane Jensen), a young man suffering from chronic lung disease.

However, dark supernatural forces are lurking in the shadows, forcing this brave and loyal pup to fight to protect the one he loves most.

In his feature directorial debut, Ben Leonberg introduces his real-life dog in the title role, with this haunted house horror told entirely from the pet's perspective.

The film took 400 days over the course of three years to shoot, to account for Indy's first 'acting' gig, and Leonberg brought on co-writer Alex Cannon to help refine the screenplay.

Good Boy (2025) is an astonishing piece of work from a passionate, up-and-coming filmmaker, delivering a classic, creepy haunted house premise with a unique, fresh new take, which surprisingly succeeds on practically every level.

Meet Indy - the beloved pet of director Ben Leonberg. Good Boy is the new horror phenomenon showcasing a supernatural haunted house tale seen entirely through the eyes of a dog

This spooky story takes the form of a slow-burning mystery/horror, deliberately paced to steadily build bone-chilling suspense through reliable tropes, such as dark shadows lingering in the corner of a room or some unknown, ominous force going bump in the middle of the night.

The movie is steeped in long moments of quiet and stillness, creating a nail-biting sense of tension and dread, often leading to intense, spectacular crescendos of light and colour as the supernatural entities begin to envelop an isolated dog and his ailing master.

Despite being an independent picture, the technical attributes of the film are truly outstanding. Admittedly, there are some noticeably awkwardly integrated voice-work, which can easily be forgiven due to Leonberg himself stepping in as actor Shane Jensen's stand-in to work with Indy to try and get the best performance out of him that they could.

However, the movie is directed with precision and stylistic flair, with Leonberg fully committing to this original concept by utilising inventive and creative techniques to align audiences with Indy's perspective, with the camera very often positioned at the dog's level.

Variant camera angles are combined with extreme close-ups of Indy's eyes, presenting the sinister reflection of what he is actually seeing and heightening the fright factor. All those long hours of cleverly coaxing Indy into giving the reactions the crew needed have certainly paid off!

Praise must also be given to the film's brilliant sound design and Sam Boase-Miller's very effective, riveting original score. Indy spends a lot of time roaming the cosy, yet unnerving rural home, relying on his keen sense of smell to assess each room and the potential threat just waiting to make its move, and the sounds of his sniffing are amplified perfectly to truly immerse viewers in the moment.

The alternative perspective of the film offered unique challenges for the crew, resulting in production taking a lot longer than usual to finish. All of this 'lights, camera, action' debacle was just fun play for the star of the show...

A wonderful, uneasy atmosphere is quickly established through a seemingly permanent thunderstorm settling above the house, with the heavy rain and gusty gales battering the windows, creating the ideal horror setting, and all of this is translated very well through the film's sound department.

Leonberg wisely chose to formulate a shorter run time for the movie, with the final product only clocking in at an hour and thirteen minutes, understanding that limiting the film's perspective to that of a dog may have resulted in unnecessary repetition, disengaging audiences in the process

The film admirably manages to remain gripping throughout, despite a couple of shortfalls, due to Leonberg's meticulous direction and, of course, having his fantastic dog, Indy, being the star of the show.

Yes, Indy is an absolutely adorable pooch, and yes, he definitely deserves an Oscar nomination. This dog possesses incredibly emotive, soulful eyes that portray an identifiable emotive gaze, and his keen movements to fiercely protect his owner further highlight his intelligent, curious nature.

Quite frankly, Indy genuinely acts better than some human performers today! The film is generally more likely to resonate more with animal lovers and dog owners, and for those expressing concern for Indy's welfare, need not fret. From behind-the-scenes footage and press interviews, it is instantly clear how much Leonberg adores his dog best friend, and the film draws a fine line regarding the extremity of limits involved when working with a real-life animal.

Much of the movie is filmed at Indy's level; therefore, the face of his owner, Todd (Jensen/Leonberg), and other people are largely unseen and blurred out, positioning viewers directly with Indy's point of view

Although one is constantly worried for onscreen Indy's chances of survival, the movie is very careful in its execution, and any horror which does involve the dog always feels tasteful and not purposefully exploitative or nasty. The film can definitely be emotionally devastating as the strong bond between man and dog provides the beating heart of the narrative, with a gut-puncher of an ending really hitting you right in the feels.

Indy is one of the easiest protagonists to root for because of his absolute devotion and loyalty towards Todd, even when he is sometimes treated dubiously. Todd really does not deserve this brave pup!

Good Boy is one of the most unique, ambitious horror movies ever made, and on a much smaller budget than typical studio projects, things could have gone much worse! The film is truly an inspiration for fellow filmmakers, demonstrating what achievements can be reached with some patience, dedication, and passion for the art form.

Both haunting and heartfelt, this is an unbelievably solid movie showcasing the BEST boy in the lovable Indy. Can't wait to see what Ben Leonberg has in store for us next!

Check out the trailer for Good Boy (2025) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!