Good Boy Unleashes Haunted House Horror From a Dog’s POV, Now On Digital

Here is the pitch: a haunted house movie told entirely from the family dog’s point of view. Good Boy started as a quirky festival curiosity and has now clawed its way into a legit rollout, strong box office, and a quick digital drop right in time for Halloween. Also, the dog is not a trained actor. That little detail becomes very relevant.

Release snapshot

• Distributor: Shudder picked up rights for the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Theatrical plan: Originally a limited run, but the trailer went big, so Shudder teamed with Independent Film Company for a wide theatrical release on October 3.
• Box office: It has passed the 6 million mark and was floated internally as a potential biggest hit since Late Night with the Devil, which topped 10 million domestic.
• Digital: It is now available to rent or buy on Amazon, just in time for Halloween viewing at home.
• Rating: PG-13 for terror, bloody images, and strong language.

The hook

Good Boy is directed by Ben Leonberg, who co-wrote it with Alex Cannon, and stars Leonberg’s actual dog, Indy, as the lead. Yes, the camera sticks with Indy. The conceit is not a gimmick for a scene or two - it is the movie.

What it is

Indy and his human best friend Todd leave the city for Todd’s long-empty family house in the country. Two quick takeaways from the move: Indy does not trust the creepy old place, and his loyalty to Todd is absolute. Then things get weird: invisible presences pacing the hall, ghostly tracks, unnerving warnings from a spectral dog, and flashes of how the previous resident met a nasty end. When something dark starts to pull at Todd, Indy has to intervene before his person gets dragged into the afterlife.

The human cast includes Larry Fessenden, fresh off Blackout, and Stuart Rudin, who you might remember from The Silence of the Lambs.

How they pulled it off

This is where the behind-the-scenes details are genuinely wild. Leonberg and his wife, producer Kari Fischer, turned their own home into the set and covered stand-in duties themselves for years to make the schedule work for Indy. Production with the dog took 400 days because Indy is not a trained animal actor. The result is a surprisingly grounded portrait of a dog processing a haunted house in real time. It should not be that effective, but it is.

"We immediately recognized the immense potential of Leonberg’s debut and are thrilled to strike this deal with Shudder."

- Amy Beecroft, head of Verve Ventures, who negotiated the distribution deal for the filmmakers

"Ben Leonberg’s debut is a singular experience in perspective-driven horror. Told entirely through the eyes of Indy, a devoted dog whose terror and determination to save his human become our own, the film delivers a haunting and emotional experience that introduces a surprising standout performance from Indy and a strikingly assured first feature from Leonberg."

- Emily Gotto, SVP of Acquisitions and Production for Shudder

The star, by the way

Indy is a middle-aged, 35-pound retriever who has no idea he is a movie star. His priorities in life are simple: fetch, food, and then Ben and Kari. Special skills include locating tennis balls with scary accuracy and staring directly into your soul about two seconds before dinner.

This is his first feature after a breakout turn in a short film also called Good Boy.

Quick pulse check

JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols landed at a 7 out of 10 on the film, and they also sat down with Leonberg and Indy for a chat if you want more context on how this got made.

If you missed it in theaters, it is now on Amazon to rent or own. Given the timing and the premise, this one feels tailor-made for a lights-off home watch, preferably with a very good boy on the couch next to you.