Good Boy was a no-brainer for Average Dude
Your humble Average Dude is a sucker for dogs, it’s no secret. I love them all and automatically ascribe a reciprocal affection to them (sometimes to my regret, granted). Not sorry, even a little bit. Dogs have enhanced my life immeasurably and deserve my respect, appreciation and love.
The list is long
Whenever I see a new dog movie coming out, I automatically circle it on my watch calendar. A Dog’s Purpose. Arthur the King. The Art of Racing in the Rain. Marley & Me. Hachi. Togo. Megan Leavey. 8 Below. Turner and Hooch. How far into history do you want to go? I’ll go back to Benji and Old Yeller. Most of those are on the annual watch list.
No respect, I tell ya
When I saw the movie poster for Good Boy, I was immediately intrigued. A horror movie where the dog is the star? Who wouldn’t be intrigued? I watched the trailer, which is always a highlight real designed to increase interest. It was a little vanilla and that was disappointing. But I was invested, already IN, and I’ll tell you why later.
So, I went to my local moviehaus website to check movie times for Good Boy. That’s when I discovered…Good Boy is an indy film (literally. Just wait for it). There was only ONE Saturday night showing in the smallest theater they have, complete with recliners that haven’t yet been repaired. This was the orphan annie of theaters. Disappointment #2.
I really had no choice but to go see Good Boy
Never mind the fact that I’m a big time dog guy (I have a FB hashtag called Random Street Dog Selfies). What really guaranteed that I was always going to go see Good Boy was the name of the dog – Indy. That happens to be the nickname of my youngest daughter (and it is the PERFECT nickname for her, on all levels). The name of Indy’s human? Same as mine. How could I not go?
The Dog is the thing
There is NO dog movie ever made, or even a movie that had a dog IN it, where the dog wasn’t the main focus whenever he/she was on screen. Likewise, there is no movie where the dog dies that the moment isn’t the most gut-twisting scene in said movie. I give you I Am Legend. Or John Wick. Heck, every time Baily died in A Dog’s Purpose my feels were mauled. And the masochist in me just had to know if Indy was going to make it through Camp Crystal Lake unscathed, scathed or buried in the backyard ‘neath his favorite oak tree. And I aint tellin’.
Good Boy is the cradle to REDACTED story of Indy, brought into Todd’s life a pup and journeying with him through life, as a good dog does. The tale is told completely from Indy’s point of view, always the focus. I’ve discovered that it is infinitely easier to become invested in a dog on screen than it is a person. You don’t need time to get to know them or their motivations or what makes them tick. They’re either loyal and devoted or they’re fur-covered razor blades (to quote Gibs in True Lies). They will quickly let you know which.
Dogs and Death
Indy’s human Todd is dealing with the death of his grampa and has decided to come to terms with it by going to live in the remote forest home where he died. As inseparable as dog and owner tend to be, Indy is there every step of the way. Such a good boy.
Todd tries to come to terms with life and death the way any well-balanced young man does…by watching old videotaped horror movies left by the deceased on an antiquated b/w tv in the middle of a forest. In the rainy season. Of course he did.
So, as Todd wrestles with demons that may be real, may be of his own making, faithful Indy stands watch over everything. Ever on guard, ever forgiving, ever loyal. To the end.
That’s all I’m going to give up on Good Boy, other than to say that the decision to make this movie about the dog was really well done. With only a couple of exceptions, you never saw an actual human face (and mostly from a grainy videotape). Indy (his real name, in fact) is the unchallenged star of Good Boy and conveys the emotional tension of a horror movie expertly.
Supernaturality, viewd by man’s best friend
I think one of the overlooked qualities of Good Boy might be the way the director conveyed a supernatural element through the lense of a dog. It doesn’t have the brain power to wrestle with complex concepts like the supernatural. They resisted the very real temptation to imbue the dog with human sensibilities. It may be less cinematic, but certainly more truthful. I approve.
So, with great pride, I am giving Good Boy a very watchable 3.5 out of 5. At less than 1.5 hours, it doesn’t drag and doesn’t leave anything out. Stay for the credits to see some cool behind-the-scenes of Good Boy. I can definitely see Good Boy having a Blair Witch Project type following and spawning more ‘Hollywood-ish’ sequels. I’d be here for maybe one but certainly NOT here for Hollywood getting ahold of this IP and wrecking it soullessly.
Was it scary?
Not so much. A couple of jump scares and a lot of tension wondering what would happen to Indy in the end. Could have used maybe a little bit of Hollywood storytelling with Indy fighting the metaphysical. But all in all, a solid suspense semi-horror flick.
SO…go see Good Boy and then go home and spend some quality time with your own good boy or girl. I did. Took Henley and Ozwold on a late night walk. Henley crop dusted me the whole way. They’re still my goo’ boys.
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