Why The Director of the Horror Film GOOD BOY Wants Fans to Know the Dog’s Fate Before Watching
The fall season is the perfect time to sit down with a good horror movie, and one upcoming indie flick is already sparking heated debate before it even hits theaters. Good Boy has gone viral online, not for its scares, but for one burning question horror fans can’t stop asking.. does the dog die?
When Good Boy first started making the rounds on the festival circuit, audiences were immediately worried about the fate of Indy, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever at the center of the story.
That anxiety quickly spread online, fueling curiosity about the film before most people even had a chance to see it. Writer and director Ben Leonberg eventually addressed the speculation head-on, assuring fans that Indy does, in fact, survive the movie.
When speaking with CinemaBlend about the strange viral attention the movie has received, Leonberg compared the situation to something much bigger in the action world.
"It's probably not so different from what I think people know when they go and see a Mission: Impossible movie. Tom Cruise isn't gonna die, but the filmmaking still has to let you think he might fall off that airplane and die potentially for real, when you're watching Mission: Impossible. So, it's a different way to solve a kind of similar problem."
Even knowing Indy makes it through, the film doesn’t let you relax. The tension is constant, the haunted house setting is relentless, and seeing the story unfold from the dog’s perspective only heightens the unease.
Leonberg has crafted something unique, a horror story that doesn’t rely on cheap tricks but instead builds real empathy for its four-legged hero.
As for why Good Boy became a viral talking point before its release, Leonberg has a pretty straightforward explanation.
"I think part of the reason people are so invested in what happens to Indy is the question of ‘Does the dog die?’ I think it does speak to what horror movies have trained us to think happens to most dogs in horror movies, which is to say the whole film is built on this trope of, you know, ‘Hey, you know how your dog might stare into an empty corner?’"
Instead of being sidelined or killed off early like most horror-movie pets, Indy is the star. The film uses low camera angles and a grounded style to fully immerse viewers in the dog’s point of view.
Leonberg and his wife, who also produced the film, even lived in the haunted house where they shot the story for three years. That way, Indy’s performance came naturally rather than from formal training, making the experience feel raw and authentic.
Leonberg also pointed out how horror tropes usually treat dogs, but how Good Boy subverts them in a fresh way.
"Or, how in horror movies, there's that dog who's always suspicious of the basement or suspicious of that weird old neighbor? Usually that dog in horror movies doesn't make it out of Act 1. This is obviously in a film entirely about Indy, so we're expanding that story quite a bit."
The gamble has paid off. Early reviews out of film festivals have praised the movie, and the online conversation has only amplified anticipation for its wide release. Leonberg admitted he didn’t expect the viral attention, but he’s thrilled people are this invested in Indy’s story.
"Were we surprised by the reaction? I mean, yes, I think so. It's all been delightful. We certainly think our dog is really compelling. I think everyone thinks their own dog is the cutest, most compelling dog in the world.
“So maybe my wife and I are gonna be a little warped now. But no, it's been delightful to see that people are this invested in Indy, his story and outcome."
You can see what all the hype is about when Good Boy hits theaters on October 3.