By RICHELLE CHARKOT
Starring Indy, Shane Jensen and Larry Fessenden
Directed by Ben Leonberg
Written by Alex Cannon and Ben Leonberg
Few things are more exciting than when a filmmaker finds a truly unique angle on a well-worn trope. In Ben Leonberg’s GOOD BOY, we find just that – a simple and effective premise that stands on its own two – or rather, four – feet. A ghost story from the perspective of a loyal dog, the film asks the age-old question all pet owners have asked: What are they looking at when they stare into the dark?
Todd (Shane Jensen) has had enough of city life, so he takes his dog, Indy, and moves into his grandfather’s house in the middle of nowhere. Todd believes the family home is vacant. However, the audience knows through Indy’s perspective that the home is much more occupied than it seems. Indy watches splotchy shadows drift up the walls, sees full-body apparitions and witnesses vision after vision of what happened to the previous owner (and dog) that lived there. Meanwhile, Todd becomes more irritable and sick as malevolent forces seep into his soul. He tries repeatedly to push Indy away, but his furry friend sticks by his side and stands up to the horror that threatens to consume them.
Sometimes films with a gimmick (though that term seems a bit derogatory here) run the risk of feeling like a short film stretched to feature length, but at a brisk 71 minutes, GOOD BOY manages to stay interesting and, more importantly, scary the entire time, thanks in part to the excellent sound design. Every distant creak or forceful gust of wind perks up the audience’s terrified ears. There are brief moments when the film’s relatively low budget reveals itself in the special effects, but more often than not, it is clear to see that the filmmakers made a deliberate effort to “hide the stitches,” so to speak. Ultimately, it pays off.
GOOD BOY is beautifully shot, with artful blocking that obscures human faces in inventive ways to constantly bring the perspective back to Indy. It sounds funny to laud the performance of a dog actor, but Leonberg’s direction evokes so much empathy for his animal star, it is well worth mentioning. The audience experiences the helplessness of the situation through Indy’s eyes, how committed he is to rescuing Todd’s soul and how tragically lonely the two leads are without each other. Though the plot may be deliberately lean, the film shifts its focus to the emotional depth of the scenario. The result is a heart-wrenching horror movie that is as scary as it is sad. And it will definitely have people hugging their pets a little tighter.
