72 mins |
Rated
PG-13 (for terror, bloody images and strong language)
Directed by Ben Leonberg
Starring Larry Fessenden, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Stuart Rudin, Anya Krawcheck
CHELSEA LATE NIGHTS -
GOOD BOY (Ben Leonberg, 2025, 72min)
Our canine hero, Indy, finds himself on a new adventure with his human owner—and best friend—Todd, leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. From the start, two things are abundantly clear: Indy is wary of the creepy old house, and his affection for Todd is unwavering. After moving in, Indy is immediately vexed by empty corners, tracks an invisible presence only he can see, perceives phantasmagoric warnings from a long-dead dog, and is haunted by visions of the previous occupant’s grim death. When Todd begins succumbing to the dark forces swirling around the house, Indy must battle a malevolence intent on dragging his beloved Todd into the afterlife.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Stephen King–one of my biggest horror inspirations–often says he gets his ideas from "what if" scenarios: What if an alcoholic writer was stranded with his family in a haunted hotel? (The Shining). What if a bullied teenager discovered she had telekinetic powers? (Carrie). Back in 2012, while revisiting the opening of Poltergeist, a “what if” struck me that I couldn’t shake: What if the family dog was the only one who knew the house was haunted?
Good Boy is the result of that question. It’s a grounded, paranormal thriller told from the perspective of a dog—a loyal, everyday companion thrust into extraordinary circumstances. This is his movie, one where his instincts, senses, and simple reasoning drive the story and storytelling. My dog, Indy, is the star, though he has no idea he’s in it. He has no understanding of marks or cues, and he spent most of the shoot napping. Yet his on-screen presence is so magnetic that I put the whole movie on his oblivious little shoulders.
When your lead actor is a dog, traditional filmmaking rules go out the window: For three years, my wife (also the film’s producer) and I worked around his schedule—eliciting his “performance” by making silly noises, posing him in specific positions, and enticing him around our “haunted” house with treats. All shots with Indy were captured on closed sets so that we could maintain his focus, and I only ended up acting in it because I’m one of two people Indy truly loves and listens to. Fortunately, I’ve always believed the best films emerge because of their constraints, not in spite of them. Horror, in particular, thrives on
ingenuity over budget.
Good Boy envelops modern themes and grounded horror within a deeply relatable story. By centering
Indy’s perspective, the film invites audiences to see the world through the eyes of a loyal dog whose sole goal is to love and protect his best friend. While its genre elements are fantastical, the emotional bond between dog and human reflects a reality many can connect with. And in the wake of profound upheaval brought on by the pandemic—with the Surgeon General declaring loneliness an epidemic, trust in medicine plummeting, and our definitions of family continuing to evolve—Good Boy reflects on these
modern struggles through the story of a despondent man who chooses seclusion, with only his beloved dog to sustain him.
Horror works best when it feels real, when the settings resemble places the audience might live and the characters behave in ways that feel authentic. Good Boy fully embraces a grounded aesthetic, genuinely lived-in locations, and naturalistic performances to build a believable world. When the supernatural events unfold, the familiarity of the environment and characters makes it easy to imagine the horror happening to anyone.
At its core, Good Boy is more than a paranormal thriller—it’s a story about confronting a darkness so universal it transcends species, and the terrifying question of what might happen when even our most loyal protector senses something we cannot?
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CHELSEA LATE NIGHTS -
GOOD BOY (Ben Leonberg, 2025, 72min)
Our canine hero, Indy, finds himself on a new adventure with his human owner—and best friend—Todd, leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. From the start, two things are abundantly clear: Indy is wary of the creepy old house, and his affection for Todd is unwavering. After moving in, Indy is immediately vexed by empty corners, tracks an invisible presence only he can see, perceives phantasmagoric warnings from a long-dead dog, and is haunted by visions of the previous occupant’s grim death. When Todd begins succumbing to the dark forces swirling around the house, Indy must battle a malevolence intent on dragging his beloved Todd into the afterlife.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Stephen King–one of my biggest horror inspirations–often says he gets his ideas from "what if" scenarios: What if an alcoholic writer was stranded with his family in a haunted hotel? (The Shining). What if a bullied teenager discovered she had telekinetic powers? (Carrie). Back in 2012, while revisiting the opening of Poltergeist, a “what if” struck me that I couldn’t shake: What if the family dog was the only one who knew the house was haunted?
Good Boy is the result of that question. It’s a grounded, paranormal thriller told from the perspective of a dog—a loyal, everyday companion thrust into extraordinary circumstances. This is his movie, one where his instincts, senses, and simple reasoning drive the story and storytelling. My dog, Indy, is the star, though he has no idea he’s in it. He has no understanding of marks or cues, and he spent most of the shoot napping. Yet his on-screen presence is so magnetic that I put the whole movie on his oblivious little shoulders.
When your lead actor is a dog, traditional filmmaking rules go out the window: For three years, my wife (also the film’s producer) and I worked around his schedule—eliciting his “performance” by making silly noises, posing him in specific positions, and enticing him around our “haunted” house with treats. All shots with Indy were captured on closed sets so that we could maintain his focus, and I only ended up acting in it because I’m one of two people Indy truly loves and listens to. Fortunately, I’ve always believed the best films emerge because of their constraints, not in spite of them. Horror, in particular, thrives on
ingenuity over budget.
Good Boy envelops modern themes and grounded horror within a deeply relatable story. By centering
Indy’s perspective, the film invites audiences to see the world through the eyes of a loyal dog whose sole goal is to love and protect his best friend. While its genre elements are fantastical, the emotional bond between dog and human reflects a reality many can connect with. And in the wake of profound upheaval brought on by the pandemic—with the Surgeon General declaring loneliness an epidemic, trust in medicine plummeting, and our definitions of family continuing to evolve—Good Boy reflects on these
modern struggles through the story of a despondent man who chooses seclusion, with only his beloved dog to sustain him.
Horror works best when it feels real, when the settings resemble places the audience might live and the characters behave in ways that feel authentic. Good Boy fully embraces a grounded aesthetic, genuinely lived-in locations, and naturalistic performances to build a believable world. When the supernatural events unfold, the familiarity of the environment and characters makes it easy to imagine the horror happening to anyone.
At its core, Good Boy is more than a paranormal thriller—it’s a story about confronting a darkness so universal it transcends species, and the terrifying question of what might happen when even our most loyal protector senses something we cannot?
