Every animal owner has a special bond with their pet. They’re intuitive, loving, and compassionate. There’s a reason many people worry about the fate of animals in horror movies, especially. With Good Boy, which premiered this year at SXSW, Ben Leonberg decided to maximize that fear by making the dog the star of the movie.

Leonberg’s own dog, Indy, stars in the film. After a mysterious medical emergency, Indy’s owner Todd (Shane Jensen) relocates to the house his grandfather used to live in. When they get there in the middle of the night during a rainstorm, it is already clear that something is not right within the house. Indy begins to sense things, and see a strange dog. However, this is just the beginning of what Indy and Todd will begin to go through in this short, 73-minute runtime.

Though the plot itself is hardly revolutionary, when you view it from the eyes of a dog, it makes sense. All Indy knows is that something is wrong, and so do we. He doesn’t know what, and he doesn’t know what to describe it, but his unwavering loyalty to Todd ensures that he is going to do what he needs to protect him. He’s always at his side, no matter what, something Todd comments on early in the film.

Good Boy certainly takes its chances. It probably won’t spawn any franchises or copycats, but what it gives us is solid. Indy makes better decisions than most people in horror films, and he’s much more capable than some other unfortunate pets. He’s a hero, and he takes that title seriously once he earns it.

Indy deserves the same treatment the dog from Anatomy of a Fall got

Leonberg and his wife, producer Kari Fischer, direct Indy well. There are several instances where Indy is able to out-act a chunk of Hollywood, and that’s without any lines. The success of the film lies not just in the ingenious ways Leonberg brings the story to life, but how strong the emotional bond is not just between Indy and Todd, but also the viewer.

The film has several harrowing moments featuring Indy, as well as some very emotional ones. Leonberg is intuitive with the directing, and clever with the shots. Not a moment feels like you’ve stepped outside of a canine POV.

In a time when a lot of horror movies fail because they don’t attempt risks, Good Boy stands out. At SXSW, you heard the chatter about the horror movie from a dog’s perspective. It was new, and interesting, and it works. Indy deserves to be a star this awards season.

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