South by Southwest has always had a reputation for showing films that experiment, push the envelope, set the standard for future filmmakers. This year was no different. Perhaps the clearest example of this is Ben Leonberg's Good Boy, an independent horror film that takes place entirely from the perspective of Indy, the most photogenic dog you'll ever see.
Good Boy was written with a relatable concept in mind. What exactly is your dog seeing when they start barking at nothing or when they stare into an empty corner? Can our canine friends detect something beyond human senses? Ben Leonberg along with his wife and producer, Kari Fischer sought out to explore this POV with the help of their own dog, Indy, who has no doubt become the breakout star of this year's SXSW.
Good Boy takes place entirely from Indy's perspective, the endlessly curious Golden Retriever as he attempts to protect his owner, Todd from the evil entities in his house. The film places a real focus on Indy, all of the human faces are obscured in some way, whether that be through lighting or a mask. Leonberg and company went through great lengths to make sure Indy was the real star of the show. With his floppy ears, pink nose, and white racing stripe down his face, he was simply born to be on the cover of magazines.
As you can imagine, Good Boy was a challenge to make. During the film's Q&A, Leonberg mentioned that it took over four hundred days to film, one of the many complications that comes with having a dog as your lead actor. As it turns out, there are rules and regulations dictating how long dogs can work on film sets, which can be as little as 1-3 hours. A lot of scenes include complicated blocking and having Indy look directly at the camera, something that every dog owner knows is a challenge. At no point during the screening did I find myself not incredibly impressed for what the cast was able to create. Making a film from the perspective of a rowdy, excited pup is no easy feat, but after seeing all the acclaim the film has gotten, it's safe to say it was all worth it.
Good Boy is an insanely impressive film from a number of different angles. The most obvious being that Ben Leonberg was able to create a feature film entirely from the perspective of his dog. But it doesn't end there, despite having very little dialogue, the film is very emotionally effective, bringing a few audience members to tears at the premiere. Nobody likes seeing a dog in distress.
Despite only being 73 minutes, Good Boy suffers from occasionally feeling too slow. The supernatural plot is not always super clear or easy to understand, but then again, a dog would definitely have a hard time understanding what was going on. There's certainly a case to be made that the film would work better as a short than as a feature, but it is still an incredibly impressive and emotional film. With a small budget, a small crew, and a four-legged lead actor, it's amazing just how far the film has come.
Good Boy is not only an effective horror film, but also one of the finest examples of a sentiment we all know to be true: we don't deserve dogs.
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