Good Boy Turns a Real Dog into a Horror Protagonist — The Viral POV Movie That’s Scaring Audiences

Good Boy is a 90-minute horror movie told from the point of view of a dog. First-time director Ben Leonberg made the film with his own Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Indy, and the movie moved from a planned limited release to a wide release after its trailer went viral.

1. Director explains why he needed to tell this story
2. How the film works: point of view, sound and emotion
3. Production details and the choice of breed
4. Where to watch and the trailer

Director explains why he needed to tell this story

Ben Leonberg is a first-time director and Indy’s real-life owner. He has said that the idea grew from a common, everyday worry among dog owners. In his words:

“I think it comes from a thought or maybe worry every dog owner has had, which is, ‘Why is my dog barking at nothing or staring at nothing?’” Leonberg says. “There’s probably a perfectly valid reason for that, but the human imagination can’t help but think the worst, think ghosts. I wanted to play on that anxiety. Then, in the screenwriting and filming process, it was figuring out how to tell a story that really locks into that perspective, where we’re limited to everything the dog can even understand as a way to have this narrative unfold.”

How the film works: point of view, sound and emotion

The film limits the audience to what Indy can perceive. Thus, the storytelling relies on camera placement, sound design, music and editing to direct the viewer’s feelings. As Leonberg put it:

“I think Indy, probably all dogs, all animals, are kind of a cheat code for pulling on an audience’s heartstrings because they are innocent,” Leonberg says. “They don’t know they’re in the movie. And there’s a really interesting lesson just about performance, that he’s not performing. I can’t say that enough, he does not know he was in a movie, but through filmmaking, the sound design, the music, the shots, the lighting, you can kind of convey an emotion and a feeling on his — what are otherwise neutral expressions — and the audience will project a performance onto him. I think that genuinely is how most of the movie works: the filmmaking is telling the audience how to feel, and then they’re putting that emotion on. He’s listening to us just make silly noises on set. And the audience says, Wow, I’m scared. So the dog must be scared. He’s not. He’s just trying to figure out what his mom and dad are doing.”

Production details and the choice of breed

Good Boy stars Indy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. The camera was placed at Indy’s height, and the film’s visual language is built around that perspective. Leonberg noted practical constraints, including camera placement and shot composition at the dog’s eye level.

“I think we relate to a dog like Indy,” Leonberg says, gesturing to the pet sitting behind him. “He’s not very big, he’s only 19 inches high. The camera lives 19 inches off the ground, which was challenging in filmmaking. But I don’t know if you would want a big Cujo St Bernard; that would be such a formidable opponent for the supernatural.”

He also commented on story stakes and tone:

“How could he possibly succeed? That’s really good for a story,” Leonberg says. “Also stinking cute.”

Where to watch and the trailer

The film runs about 90 minutes and it reached a wide theatrical release after its trailer gained attention online. Consequently, many viewers searched for coverage and reactions, and you can read industry analysis and context on find out if Indy survives.

Good Boy is currently in theaters. For now, the film’s marketing and public response remain focused on its unusual point of view and the practical filmmaking choices that put a dog at the center of a supernatural thriller.