Horror movies rarely bring anything new. But, director Ben Leonberg not only added a new dimension with his first feature film ‘Good Boy’ but also gave the horror genre a warm heart. What makes this movie special is that it’s a ghost story told entirely from a dog’s POV.
A New Perspective of Horror
Todd (Shane Jensen) is sick and moves to his late grandfather’s old house with his pet dog ‘Indy’. The house is always lonely, in the middle of the forest. Although it’s peaceful at first, within a few days, strange sounds and shadows appear in the house only to Indy. Even though Todd’s sister warns him that there’s a curse on the house and an evil spirit is roaming in the house, Todd ignores them.
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This is where the movie starts to get good. We see the whole story through Indy’s eyes. The camera is always at dog height, close to the ground. Human faces are often out of frame. Only their legs, arms or just their lower backs are visible. Through this we are completely immersed in the life of a dog, in its limited world.
Indy’s Performance
Indy, the director’s pet dog in real life, is brilliant in this film. Indy is not just a mischievous dog but an emotional protagonist. Indy doesn’t speak, there’s no voice-over. But his gaze, the way his ears react, his fearful footsteps, his commitment to his master—all of these clearly tell us of the presence of the ghost. Especially we are touched by his master’s deteriorating health and the anxiety he feels when he sees the terrifying black shadow (Mud Ghoul) roaming the house.
In other horror films if there’s a ghost the man is afraid, fights or runs away. But here the hero is a dog. It doesn’t know the reason, it doesn’t know how to fight it. It only has the natural instinct to protect its owner. The helplessness and loyalty of the dog increases the fear of this film many times over.
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Technical Aspects and ConclusionBen Leonberg has done a good job in direction and cinematography. 73 minutes is the perfect length for this story. He hasn’t stretched the story and has fully utilized the concept of the dog’s POV. Made on a low budget, the scenery and sound design is serious and atmospheric.
The people are hidden and the focus is on the dog’s actions and reactions which creates an unusual feeling. The climax ends with some emotional scenes, not just a horror film but also a great showcase of the bond between a man and his pet.