Many horror movies make audiences say “ewww!” But none make them say “awww!”
Until now.
“Good Boy,” Ben Leonberg’s indie film that has been a hit on the festival circuit after premiering at Austin’s South by Southwest in March, is a fright flick with a difference: It’s told from the viewpoint of a dog.
Sure, there have been animals in horror movies all along. But they are either just fodder for some monster’s hunger that serves as a warning to their two-legged owners or they are the source of the horror plaguing our hapless humans. In fact, there’s an entire sub-genre of killer dog movies of which “Cujo” is probably the best well-known. (Coincidentally, another horror film with animals out for blood, “Coyotes,” also is opening this week.)
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But in “Good Boy” (opening Friday), Indy – Leonberg’s own brown-and-white Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever – is the hero, the focus and the only real reason to see this movie. If Leonberg replaced Indy with a human, “Good Boy” would be a mildly entertaining and creepy low-budget scarefest. But sweet, adorable Indy takes it to the next level.
Indy finds himself in the proverbial “cabin in the woods” after his owner, Todd (Shane Jensen), decides to move into his deceased grandfather’s old, run-down place deep in the country. Todd’s sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman), via phone calls, warns him that she thinks the place is haunted but, of course, Todd pays her no mind. After all, he has more important matters to think about as he’s trying to dealing with a serious illness that is not really explained but he has just been released from the hospital. He seems to think a little country air will do him good.
From the start, viewers can tell that Indy isn’t too sure about this plan. Just as it is believed by some that dogs can sense impending earthquakes or detect cancer in humans, apparently they also can have really bad vibes about derelict shacks with iffy electricity. Indy does not seem to be on board with this plan but he’s going to make the best of it and make sure that he and his seemingly increasingly delirious owner (who probably shouldn’t have left the hospital) are okay. Or is Todd not the good guy that we, and Indy, think he is?
As the movie only runs 73 minutes, it doesn’t take long for Indy to start hearing and seeing things while Todd remains oblivious. But are these images real or just symptoms of Indy’s overactive canine imagination? It’s hard to tell as much of “Good Boy” is shot in relative darkness where light and shadow can play tricks even on a creature with Indy’s sharpened senses.
What’s most amazing about “Good Boy” is the performance that Leonberg gets from Indy. The dog says more with his eyes than most human actors can muster with entire pages of dialog.
‘Good Boy’
Rated PG-13 : For terror, bloody images, strong language
Running time: 73 minutes
Where: Opens Friday throughout Houston
★★★★ (out of 5)
It probably helps that Leonberg and Indy already know each other intimately and that the film was shot in very short bursts over the course of three years with no stand-in look-alikes and no CGI. (We’re looking at you Krypto from “Superman.”) Everything Indy performs on screen is something that he actually did.
Leonberg shot “Good Boy” low to the ground and the audience doesn’t really get a good, prolonged look at any human faces. This just adds to the feeling of unease.
But the question many viewers will walk away with is: Can Indy be nominated for and win an Oscar? If so, at least we won’t have to worry about his acceptance speech running long.
This article originally published at Review: ‘Good Boy’ is a dog’s-eye horror tale that deserves a treat.
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