By skyforbes 
Good Boy is a living example and proof that making a horror film doesn’t always have to feature constant jump scares. Director Ben Leonberg successfully crafted a cohesive story, narrative, and cinematography to convey a terrifying situation.
After the end of The Conjuring universe, Hollywood should return to making films like Good Boy, which rely on quality storytelling and excellent videography. Consistently relying on the parallel universe concept will leave audiences bored and tired.
Ben’s success in producing and directing Good Boy lies not only in the writing but also in the casting. He didn’t need popular actors or high salaries to create a good film, yet it still earned the audience a universal following.
The story focuses on Todd (Shane Jensen), who has just moved into his deceased grandfather’s house with his pet dog, Indy. At the same time, Todd is experiencing complications from a lung disease and requires regular doctor visits.
Amidst the onslaught of blockbuster films with human protagonists and action genres, Ben presents an interesting idea: telling a horror genre from a dog’s perspective. Indy accompanies Todd, who is isolating himself during his illness, and plays the lead role in the film.
Besides Todd, Ben also includes another character, Vera (Arielle Friedman), who appears in the film’s 73-minute running time. The film’s unique aspect is that it doesn’t clearly show her face, only a dark silhouette shrouded in shadow.
Todd’s face is only clearly visible in the last 10 minutes of the film, without any particular purpose. However, this is a hallmark of Ben’s independent production team’s direction, leading to widespread positive reception.
The narrative arc of Ben’s script doesn’t introduce Todd and Indy early on. The audience only meets them in the opening credits through brief camera footage captured by Todd.
The same thing is evident when Todd moves into his grandfather’s new house in the woods. Unlike other horror films, Ben explores Todd’s home environment to convey the eerie feeling of living alone.
Thanks to the beautiful videography and expansive forest shots, the film is not only engaging but also avoids monotonous scenery. But because it is told from Indy’s point of view as a dog, the depth of the story becomes more limited.
With its simple concept, storyline, and setting, this film maintains its own unique quality. You can enjoy the tense atmosphere in the middle of the forest, combined with a simple yet meaningful surprise setup.
The conflict itself isn’t much different from most horror films: Todd and Indy sense something strange in their new home. Indy is the first to notice a mysterious shadow or ghost watching her every night.
Beyond the videography, another positive aspect of Ben’s direction is his ability to direct Indy to act naturally in a horror film. As is well known, directing animals on a film set is different from directing humans.
Indy’s expressions of fear, worry, and joy when close to Todd are beautifully conveyed by Ben’s camera from close-up. Each simple expression Indy displays ensures the production company doesn’t need to hire expensive actors to create a quality film.
If I had to cite a weakness, it would probably be the supporting characters, who could have been further developed to interact with Todd. For example, Todd’s neighbor, the fox hunter, could have been a supporting protagonist.
In contrast, Vera has a supporting role through phone calls and her voice, constantly advising Todd, and her message is still conveyed. The fox hunter’s clothing concept also serves no clear purpose other than to hide his face, as is the case with Todd and Vera.
Meanwhile, the antagonist ghost is also not clearly depicted and has a specific facial design, like Valak. The goal is to create a minimalistic sense of creepiness, simply hinting at a shadow in the corner of the room.
There is particular hope that Ben Leonard will land another directorial project with a larger production house and demonstrate his creativity and idealism in the horror world.
7.5/10