After the Independent Film Company (IFC) released the trailer for its upcoming canine-centered horror flick Good Boy, Google searches for “does the dog die in Good Boy” surged 2,000%.
Good Boy, an American supernatural horror film directed by Ben Leonberg in his feature debut, reimagines the haunted house story, but through the dog’s perspective. Alex Cannon is credited as co-writer.
After the death of a family member, Todd (Shane Jensen) moves with his dog, Indy, into a rural farmhouse once owned by his grandfather (Larry Fessenden). Ignoring rumors that the house is haunted, Indy begins to sense terrifying supernatural forces that Todd can’t. Unable to alert his owner, the dog must face the malevolent forces alone, testing his loyalty in a fight to protect Todd.
After IFC released the trailer via its YouTube account, commenters began bombarding the video with talk of rioting if the dog is harmed. “If the dog dies, I’m showing up as John wick myself,” promises one user.
The Good Boy star, named Indy, is the director’s real-life companion. In an interview with Filmmaker, Leonberg said the film was shot over the course of three years, requiring him to consider the gig’s potential stress on Indy. The director continues, explaining how his four-legged filming partner adapted to life on set:
“But filming, and capturing Indy’s ‘performance’ didn’t rely much on conventional dog training. Indy doesn’t know that many commands or tricks, but he is a really smart dog – he learned quickly that the camera meant he was supposed to do ‘something’. And that level of curiosity was a great baseline from which to dial in the rest of this ‘performance’. We did the rest by prompting him with various stimuli (food, physical gestures, and audio cues). The blocking was the hardest part–we never found a way for Indy to hit exact marks.”
It’s no secret that audiences love seeing animals on the big screen, but many of us fear the ending. Additionally, animal abuse is a triggering topic for many. Intensely emotional scenes can ruin a movie-viewing experience if they come completely unexpected. Thankfully, there exist many great resources to help moviegoers avoid accidentally exposing themselves to traumatic imagery. One of the best tools is DoesTheDogDie, a vast database that helps people navigate emotional stress following high-stress, traumatic media. However you choose to use it, the site is a valuable asset to those hoping to enjoy entertainment with peace of mind.
Good Boy is slated for release on October 3, 2025, just in time to start off the Halloween season right. Right now, the film sits at a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Take a peek at the trailer below to see Indy in action against the spirits looking to harm his human companion.
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Kayla is a creative force at Outrun Gaming, where she handles image editing with a dash of flair. When she’s not leveling up content, she’s hanging with her family, binging movies, booting up video games, or getting lost in art. With a knack for making people laugh, Kayla brings her playful energy to everything she does, mixing fun with creativity at every turn.
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