The Good Boy Dog Just Ignited an Oscars Debate: Should Animal Performances Get Their Own Category?
Hollywood’s awards race just got a new contender: Indy the Dog, the breakout of Good Boy, has written to the Academy seeking an Oscar nomination after earning widespread praise for his chilling performance.
We have officially crossed the line from campaigning to chaos: the dog from a horror movie just wrote the Oscars asking for a nomination. And honestly? He makes a decent case.
Yes, a dog wrote to the Academy
Indy the Dog, the furry lead of the supernatural horror film 'Good Boy', sent a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences asking to be considered for Best Actor. The twist: he was told he is not eligible. The tone of the letter is half heartfelt, half bone-dry roast, and yes, it ends with an actual pawprint. Per Variety, Indy does not sugarcoat it:
'Despite my critically acclaimed role in the recent film Good Boy, I have been deemed ineligible for the Best Actor category. Apparently, I am not a good enough boy for you.'
Indy says his Hollywood dream started as a pup watching Jed the wolf-dog in 'White Fang'. From there he name-checks a bunch of animal performances that, let’s be real, stuck with a lot of us: the orca in 'Free Willy', the pig in 'Babe', the terrorizing flock in 'The Birds', the title steed in 'War Horse'. His point: animal actors have carried emotional arcs and sometimes whole franchises, but the Academy rarely acknowledges them. In his words, the two-legged crowd gets the trophies while the four-legged crowd gets left at home in a smaller but still perfectly adequate house. The shade is immaculate.
'How many great performances must go overlooked before the Academy throws us a bone?'
He also gives shout-outs to deeper cuts and classics: the birds from 'The Birds', Jed again for 'The Thing' and 'The Journey of Natty Gann', the equine star of 'Seabiscuit', the heartbreak hound in 'Marley & Me', and even the cat from Darren Aronofsky's 'Caught Stealing'. Call it cute if you want, but as an industry gripe, it’s surprisingly on point.
Box office: this 'Good Boy' is already earning treats
'Good Boy' debuted to $2.2 million, which is a big win for IFC. According to Variety, it’s the company’s second-best opening weekend ever, behind only 2024’s 'Late Night with the Devil' at $2.8 million. Not bad for a 72-ish-minute creeper anchored by a canine lead and a studio with a reputation for smart genre swings.
Good Boy essentials
- Title: Good Boy
- Genre: Supernatural horror
- Director: Ben Leonberg
- Writers: Ben Leonberg, Alex Cannon
- Producers: Ben Leonberg, Kari Fischer
- Starring: Indy the Dog, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden
- Cinematography: Wade Grebnoel
- Editor: Curtis Roberts
- Music: Sam Boase-Miller
- Production company: What’s Wrong With Your Dog?
- Distributor: IFC and Shudder
- Runtime: about 72-73 minutes
- Language: English
- Country: United States
- US theatrical release: October 3, 2025
Why this lands right now: 2025 horror is on a heater
Indy is jumping into a year where horror has been unusually loud at the box office and not shy about risk-taking. Ryan Coogler’s 'Sinners' kicked things off with a breakout run and a dual role for Michael B. Jordan, pulling strong praise for performances and direction. The final 'Conjuring' movie hit big domestically despite lukewarm reviews, mostly because people wanted the Warrens’ saga buttoned up.
Zach Cregger’s 'Weapons' drilled into grief and frustration with Josh Brolin and Julia Garner taking on an enemy they couldn’t define. '28 Years Later' brought Ralph Fiennes doing very Ralph Fiennes work in a story that leans into dread over jump scares. Smaller gems like 'Bring Her Back' and 'Together' slipped under the radar but delivered on possession and body horror, respectively. 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' doubled as the late Tony Todd’s swan song and still found fresh air by leaning into the franchise’s wry self-awareness. And with 'The Black Phone 2' on deck, the genre’s not slowing down.
Point being: dropping a sharp, sub-75-minute, dog-led chiller right now is savvy. The audience is primed. The distributor has momentum. And the lead actor can sit, stay, and apparently write a killer awards letter.
The bottom line
Whether the Academy bites and creates space for animal performances is a long shot, but Indy’s argument isn’t silly. It’s commentary dressed up as a joke, which makes it sting a little more. Awards bodies love to say they celebrate every facet of the craft. This is a reminder that sometimes the craft has paws.
'Good Boy' is now playing in US theaters.