This fall, horror fans will meet a brand-new four-legged star. Director Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy flips the traditional haunted house story by telling it from the perspective of Indy, his real-life dog. Good Boy marks Leonberg’s feature directorial debut, co-written with Alex Cannon, and it puts Indy front and center. The cast also includes indie horror favorite Larry Fessenden, Shane Jensen, and Arielle Friedman. But make no mistake: Indy is the one commanding attention.
Indy the Canine Star
Leonberg explained in an interview with Bloody Disgusting that Indy isn’t a conventionally trained animal actor. Instead, the director built the entire production around his dog’s natural habits.
“Indy didn’t have a training schedule—I did,” Leonberg revealed. Filming could only happen in one-to-three-hour bursts, and Leonberg spent the rest of the time planning shots around Indy’s strengths and quirks. What looks like a terrified bark on-screen was, in reality, Indy keeping his eyes fixed on a tennis ball or treat just off-camera.
That attention to detail makes the danger feel all the more real. When Indy faces off against sinister forces in the haunted house, audiences can’t help but feel protective. And while Indy’s safety was never in question during production, the illusion is convincing thanks to clever editing and the director’s patience.
“It kind of proves what I’ve always believed about dogs,” Leonberg told Bloody Disgusting. “In movies, you can kill off thousands of people, beloved figures, even kids, and audiences will barely flinch. But touch a single hair on a dog’s head and people will lose their minds! Just look at John Wick—the entire franchise is basically fueled by the fate of one dog. So to see people so invested in Indy feels weirdly natural, and honestly kind of wonderful.”
Filming From a Dog’s View
The technical side of Good Boy is just as ambitious. Shooting from a dog’s perspective meant lowering the camera to Indy’s 19-inch eyeline. Leonberg built custom rigs, crouched through handheld shots, and constantly adapted to Indy’s movements. “Almost every single shot demanded some kind of invention,” he noted. The result is a film that feels uniquely immersive, letting viewers explore the haunted house on Indy’s level.
Indy the dog being held in the horror movie Good Boy – YouTube, IFC FIlms
The house itself isn’t just a backdrop but a character in its own right. Leonberg and his team lived in the location during the entirety of filming, which gave Indy the freedom to navigate it as though it were truly his home. Leonberg described his goal as creating a liminal space—foggy, ethereal, and teetering between the natural and the supernatural.
Carrying on Horror’s Canine Legacy
Of course, Good Boy also pays homage to the legacy of famous dogs in horror. Leonberg cited the family pet in Poltergeist as an early influence, pointing out how the dog noticed supernatural forces before the Freelings did. He also praised Jed, the wolf-dog from John Carpenter’s The Thing, as a gold standard for animal performances. And for longtime fans, there’s even a nod to Pipit from Jaws, whose brief but memorable role has lingered in horror history.
The title card for the horror film Good Boy – YouTube, IFC Films
By placing Indy in this lineage, Leonberg hopes to create a film where audiences connect as much through the dog’s perspective as they do through traditional scares. With Good Boy, it isn’t just about the haunted house. It’s about navigating terror through the loyalty and vulnerability of man’s best friend.
Are you planning to see Good Boy in theaters on October 3rd? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
“We named the dog Indiana.”
– Henry Jones Sr.