Thrilling ‘Good Boy’ will have you begging for more
There are dozens of movies about a man helplessly watching his canine best friend get sick and slowly slip away. But never the other way around – until now. And we can blame the infinitely clever Ben Leonberg for those welling tears near the end of his short but substantial “Good Boy.”
It’s got bite, all right, courtesy of Leonberg’s own dog, Indy, a natural-born scene-stealer painstakingly recorded over three years by Leonberg through much coaxing and countless Milk Bones, no doubt. As the film’s titular waggly-tailed protagonist, Indy is as puzzled as we are as to why his master, Todd (Shane Jensen), is stressed to the point of paranoia.
Through his soulful eyes, we experience Indy’s distress as Todd, fresh out of the hospital, whisks his companion from their Manhattan digs to Upstate New York to recuperate in the secluded “haunted house” bequeathed to Todd by his late grandfather. There, a plethora of questions arise. Like, why is Todd coughing up blood? And why is Todd’s sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman), repeatedly leaving messages expressing deep concern about her brother’s irresponsible behavior?
At first, we’re as much in the dark as she and Indy. But you can’t resist being intrigued as to where this ultra-short story (just 73 minutes) is headed. All we’re privy to is that the males in Todd’s family have a habit of dying relatively young, as evidenced by the densely populated graveyard just beyond the rustic red cabin. Is Todd about to join the ranks? If so, will it be a natural death? Or, something far more gruesome, a demise befitting the horror movie “Good Boy” bills itself to be?
I’ll say no more, but be prepared to be chilled, mostly by the supernatural evil enveloping them. Indy thinks he’s spied an apparition in the corner of a room, a plaintive wail emanates from the basement, possibly a lingering vestige of the spirit of Todd’s grandfather (Larry Fessenden) and the skeletal remains of a pooch resembling himself rest on a dirt floor. Is history repeating?
Perhaps it’s because Leonberg is sleeping with his furbaby star that everything evolves so authentically. Yes, Indy really is Leonberg’s Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. And, as far as we know, Indy is an acting novice, just as his master had never before co-written and directed a feature film. Both prove absolute naturals, arousing our curiosity as to what’s eating Todd.
Indy is understandably worried, as is Vera, whom we never fully see, but she remains a near-constant presence through her phone messages expressing justified fear for her bro’s fragile state of mind. You can’t help but share her concern, especially after spending a dark, rainy night in a house signaling menace from every crack and crevice. Indy can see it, but not Todd.
Heightening the terror is a creepy soundtrack compiled by music supervisor Erik Saras and an evocative sound design by Kelly Oostman that ventures beyond the usual array of creaky doors and rattling windows. The two techies deliver genuine thrills from something as innocuous as thudding footsteps, which to Indy approximate an earthquake tremor, to an ominous tune that elicits a sense of impending doom.
Movies are chiefly a visual medium, and “Good Boy” deftly reminds us of that, as it tells its story through precisely edited images that align with Indy’s knee-high perspective on the world. It is impossible to dismiss the atmosphere of unease Leonberg establishes, as you rightly fear for the dog’s safety, while empathizing with his frustration over his powerlessness to protect Todd. But then, isn’t that true of all of us when someone close to us contracts a serious illness? Aren’t we all just bystanders?
Although it’s promoted as a “haunted house movie,” it’s closer to a human-interest tale, movingly depicting the unbreakable bond between man and dog, and life and death. The house they inhabit may be teeming with seemingly malevolent spirits, but there’s also a counteractive amount of love on display, most of it generated by Indy, one affectionate woof at a time. So, sit, stay. Good boy!
Movie review
Good Boy
Rated: PG-13
Cast: Shane Jensen, Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman and Indy
Director: Ben Leonberg
Writers: Alex Cannon and Ben Leonberg
Runtime: 73 minutes
Where: In theaters Oct. 3
Grade: B+
