Good Boy has been in my queue since it hit Shudder. I like Shudder. I like that there is a dedicated streaming service for horror fans. I like that they have quite a few classics and future classics to choose from. I don’t like the interface of the app on XBox or that they aren’t on Playstation (my preferred system for all of my streaming and videogaming needs). I have a “smart” TV and I would check to see if Shudder is available there, but the modem died almost exactly a year after I bought it (out of warranty of course). All of this to say – I don’t go to Shudder often enough because I can’t be assed. I’m lazy like that. But now that I’m watching at least 31 new-to-me horror movies this October, it’s time for me to occasionally suck it up and weather the inconvenience of Shudder on XBox. I did just that for Good Boy. Was it worth the (admittedly very mild) annoyance? Let’s get into it, shall we?
Indy is a good boy. That is a given. His owner, Todd, is not doing so well. He has some mysterious ailment. We don’t ever hear exactly what it is because the whole movie is centered on Indy and his perspective. He’s just a dog. He doesn’t know cancer from pneumonia. He just knows that the love of his life is not 100%. When Todd takes Indy to live in his late father’s remote cabin, Indy has some reservations. The place is cluttered and dark and creaky. And the general vibe of the place is bad. Obviously, Indy can’t tell Todd outright, but as Todd’s health deteriorates further and Indy starts seeing a dark figure, he tries desperately to help.
Indy is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (i looked it up) and damn can that dog act! Wikipedia says that the breed is intelligent and eager to please. Well, this good buddy pleases. I was drawn into this very unique storytelling approach from the start. Telling the story from Indy’s perspective is genius. It makes us uneasy from the very first seconds of the film when the dog is witnessing its owner in distress. The dog doesn’t focus on what we would. Instead, the film highlights sounds and closeups of what a dog would focus on. It forces the viewer to experience things from a completely foreign perspective. And to get exposition through Todd’s phone calls or his sister’s exacerbates that unease even while driving the story forward. That is definitely not how we get information in any other film. Despite how foreign the perspective feels, it’s still a very emotionally impactful film. We do not want any harm to come to Indy whether emotional or physical. We root for the dog despite him doing very little beyond observing. I just wonder if those weirdos who hate dogs would have the same experience I did. But then again, who cares about their opinions. They obviously have awful taste.
The Final Cut: Good Boy is a wholly unique spin on storytelling perspective that effectively delivers the scares in this atmospheric, haunting film.
