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Good Boy!
Good Boy!
Good Boy!
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Good Boy!
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Hoffman
Written byZeke Richardson
John Hoffman
Produced byLisa Henson
Kristine Belson
StarringMolly Shannon
Liam Aiken
Kevin Nealon
Matthew Broderick
CinematographyJames Glennon
Edited byCraig Herring
Music byMark Mothersbaugh
Production
companies
Distributed byMGM Distribution Co. (United States/Canada)
20th Century Fox (International)[1]
Release date
  • October 10, 2003 (2003-10-10)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$18 million
Box office$45.3 million

Good Boy! is a 2003 American science fiction comedy film directed by John Hoffman, based on the book Dogs from Outer Space by Zeke Richardson; Hoffman and Richardson collaborated on the screen story, while Hoffman wrote the screenplay. The film stars Liam Aiken as Owen Baker, as well as the voices of Matthew Broderick, Delta Burke, Donald Faison, Brittany Murphy, Carl Reiner, Vanessa Redgrave, and Cheech Marin as the abundant dog characters in the film.

Good Boy! was released on October 10, 2003, by MGM Distribution Co. and received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

[edit]

Owen Baker is a 12-year-old who has been working as the neighborhood dog-walker so he can earn the privilege of getting a dog of his own. Owen's hard work pays off when his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Baker, let Owen adopt a scruffy Border Terrier that he names Hubble. Owen has little time to make lasting friends, due to his parents' renovation and reselling of houses, so he hopes Hubble will be his best friend.

Owen does have a friend named Connie Flemming, a girl his age who lives in the neighborhood, but he is also bullied by two boys named Frankie and Fred. Soon after the adoption of Hubble, Owen finds out that his new abnormally intelligent dog actually came from outer space. Owen wakes up the next morning to discover that he can now understand every word Hubble says—including the ominous phrase: "Take me to your leaders."

Owen learns that dogs came to Earth thousands of years ago to colonize and dominate the planet. Hubble, who is really named Canid 3942, has been sent by the powerful Greater Dane on a mission from the Dog Star Sirius 7 to make sure dogs have fulfilled this destiny.

The dogs Owen walks include pampered Poodle Barbara Ann, rambunctious Boxer Wilson, nervous Italian Greyhound Nelly and Connie's gassy Bernese Mountain Dog Shep.

Despite the best efforts of Owen and this rag-tag group of neighborhood dogs to convince Hubble that everything is fine with Earth's dogs, Hubble soon discovers the awful truth about Earth dogs: "You're all pets!" Things get worse when Hubble learns that the Greater Dane is headed for Earth to do her own inspection. If things don't look right, all dogs on Earth will be recalled to Sirius.

Owen and Hubble have to work together to prepare the neighborhood dogs for a visit from the Greater Dane and her Chinese Crested Dog henchman. Owen, Hubble, Connie, and their canine pals set out to whip the other dogs into shape so that they can pass muster.

Owen's efforts fail and the Greater Dane recalls all dogs from Earth. Upset, Owen repairs Hubble's communicator and sends him a message declaring how much he loves him. The Greater Dane hears the message and is left curious by it so she approaches Hubble for his opinion on why the dogs on Earth are subservient to humanity when they should be ruling it. Hubble believes that the dogs and humans have formed a bond of love and loyalty. When asked where his own loyalty lies, Hubble asks the Greater Dane to refer to him as Hubble rather than Canid 3942, showing his bond with Owen. As a result, the Greater Dane sends the Earth dogs back and declares them a different breed. Hubble is allowed to return as well, but on the condition that he removes Owen's ability to communicate with dogs. Owen's parents choose to remain in town for once and Hubble starts to fit in as an Earth dog.

Cast

[edit]
  • Liam Aiken as Owen Baker
  • Molly Shannon as Mrs. Baker
  • Kevin Nealon as Mr. Baker
  • Brittany Moldowan as Connie Fleming
  • George Touliatos as Mr. Leone
  • Patti Allan as Ms. Ryan
  • Hunter Elliott as Frankie
  • Mikhael Speidel as Fred
  • Benjamin Ratner as Wilson's Dad
  • Peter Flemming as Wilson's Other Dad
  • D. Harlan Cutshall as Mr. Fleming
  • Brenda M. Crichlow as Mrs. Fleming
  • Paul Vogt as Dog Catcher
  • Emanas as Good Boy

Voices

[edit]

Production

[edit]

In June 2002, it was announced Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) had greenlit Good Boy, a co-production with The Jim Henson Company about an alien dog coming to Earth from Sirius, the Dog Star, to investigate interstellar reports that his fellow canines have abandoned their original plan to take over the planet.[2] During the announcement, both MGM and Henson representatives expressed intentions for the film to serve as a franchise with similar expansion to series such as Beethoven, Air Bud, and Balto. [2]

Special effects

[edit]

The bulk of the digital effects in Good Boy! involved digitally altering the facial features of the dogs so that in the film, they appear to be talking or expressing a different emotion (sometimes called CG muzzle replacement). These effects were produced by Rainmaker Studios.[3]

Reception

[edit]

The film's domestic total gross was around $37 million, with a worldwide gross of around $45 million.[4] Good Boy! received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 44% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 85 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Good Boy! should appeal to kids. Adults, however, might consider it a dog."[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 49 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[6]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times criticized the film's special effects, saying "Sometimes it works to show their lips moving (it certainly did in Babe), but in Good Boy! the jaw movements are so mechanical it doesn't look like speech, it looks like a film loop. Look at Babe again and you'll appreciate the superior way in which the head movements and body language of the animals supplement their speech."[7]

A stop-motion short film animated by the BBC, Hamilton Mattress, accompanied the film's theatrical release.

Home media

[edit]

Good Boy! was released on DVD and VHS by MGM Home Entertainment on March 2, 2004.[citation needed]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Good Boy!

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Good Boy! is a 2025 American written by Ben Leonberg and Alex Cannon and directed by Ben Leonberg in his feature-length directorial debut. The story follows Indy, Leonberg's own , who relocates with his owner Todd to a secluded rural house and encounters malevolent entities, with the narrative presented entirely from the dog's perspective. Starring alongside the canine lead are Shane Jensen as Todd, Arielle Friedman, , and Anya Krawcheck. The film originated from Leonberg's concept of crafting a haunted-house horror without dialogue from the , emphasizing Indy's instincts and sensory experiences to build tension. Produced on a micro-budget, Good Boy! was shot primarily in remote wooded locations in to capture the eerie isolation of the setting. Leonberg, drawing from his background in short films, collaborated with producer Kari Fischer to train Indy for key scenes, leveraging the breed's alertness and athleticism without relying on CGI or voiceovers. Good Boy! premiered at the (SXSW) Film & TV Festival in March 2025, where it garnered attention for its innovative viewpoint and emotional depth. It was released theatrically in the United States on October 3, 2025, by IFC Films, with subsequent streaming availability on Shudder. Critically, the film holds a 90% approval rating on (based on 174 reviews) as of November 2025, praised for its atmospheric scares and Indy's charismatic performance, though some noted its reliance on familiar genre tropes. On , it has a 6.2/10 rating from 18,311 users as of November 2025, reflecting a more mixed audience response. The Guardian described it as an "often ingenious" entry that elevates the pet dog from mere harbinger to heroic protagonist.

Plot and characters

Plot

Good Boy! is presented entirely from the perspective of its canine protagonist, Indy, a . The story follows Indy and his owner, Todd—a young man with a chronic lung disease—as they relocate from the city to Todd's late grandfather's secluded rural house in following Todd's recent hospitalization. Indy immediately senses malevolent presences in the , manifesting as shadowy, skeletal figures invisible to humans. As Todd's deteriorates amid coughing fits and unexplained , Indy uses his heightened senses to investigate eerie occurrences, including visions triggered by finding his grandfather's old dog's bandana. The film builds tension through Indy's instincts and loyalty, as he confronts dark entities tied to the property's tragic history, striving to protect Todd from being pulled into the . Todd's sister Vera becomes involved as the supernatural threats escalate.

Cast

The film stars a real in the lead role alongside actors, with no for the animals to maintain the immersive dog’s-eye view.
  • Indy as himself, the loyal
  • Shane Jensen as Todd, Indy's owner
  • Arielle Friedman as Vera, Todd's sister
  • as Grandpa, Todd's grandfather (appearing in flashbacks and visions)
  • Stuart Rudin as Richard, the neighbor
  • Anya Krawcheck as Doctor

Production

Development

Good Boy! originated from a proof-of-concept short film created by Ben Leonberg, inspired by the haunted house elements of Poltergeist. The concept, conceived over 10 years prior to production, focused on telling a horror story entirely from a dog's perspective without dialogue from the protagonist. Leonberg co-wrote the screenplay with Alex Cannon, emphasizing visual and sensory storytelling to build tension through the dog's instincts. The project marked Leonberg's feature-length directorial debut, produced by his wife Kari Fischer on a micro-budget. Development involved creating additional shorts to test the feasibility of starring their own , Indy, leveraging the breed's alertness and expressiveness.

Visual effects

Visual effects in Good Boy! were minimal, with the relying on practical techniques rather than digital enhancements. No CGI was used for the dog or elements, and there were no voiceovers for Indy. Filming employed a dog-point-of-view approach, with cameras positioned at ground level (approximately 19 inches high, matching Indy's eyeline) to capture authentic movements and perspectives. Emotional depth and tension were conveyed through editing techniques, such as the , which juxtaposed Indy's reactions with environmental cues to imply threats. Production design focused on low-height visual elements, like subtle red signage and , to enhance the eerie atmosphere from the dog's viewpoint. Sound design was built entirely in post-production to maintain immersion, incorporating off-screen human voices recorded during principal photography.

Release and distribution

Theatrical release

Good Boy! premiered at the (SXSW) Film & TV Festival on March 7, 2025. It was released theatrically in the United States on October 3, 2025, by IFC Films, initially as a limited release that was expanded to a across approximately 1,650 theaters following strong pre-release interest. The marketing campaign highlighted the film's unique narrative from the dog's perspective, supernatural horror elements, and the real-dog performance without CGI, with the official trailer amassing over 3 million views in its first four days, contributing to the theatrical expansion. Promotional materials, including trailers and posters, emphasized atmospheric tension and emotional depth to appeal to horror audiences. The film debuted with an opening weekend gross of $2.3 million, placing ninth at the . By November 17, 2025, it had earned $6.6 million domestically and $2.0 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $8.7 million.

Home media

Good Boy! was released on digital platforms for premium (PVOD) rental and purchase starting October 24, 2025, available on services including Prime Video and at Home. It became available for streaming on Shudder and AMC+ on November 21, 2025. As of November 20, 2025, no physical media releases such as DVD or Blu-ray have been announced.

Reception

Critical reception

Good Boy! received positive reviews from critics. On , the film holds a 90% approval rating based on 174 reviews, with the site's consensus reading: "Good Boy is a visually striking, emotionally devastating that eschews genre conventions to deliver a uniquely haunting and conceptually ambitious experience." On , it has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. On , it holds a 6.2/10 rating from over 18,000 users. Critics praised the film's innovative perspective from the dog's point of view, its atmospheric tension, and the emotional depth of the human-canine bond amid horror. Robert Daniels of awarded it three out of four stars, calling it an "ingenious canine " that effectively uses Indy's instincts to build dread, though noting some repetitive scares and occasionally confusing low-angle shots. The described it as an "often ingenious" entry that elevates the pet from mere harbinger to heroic . hailed it as one of the best horror films of the year, praising the avoidance of gimmicks in favor of genuine terror and heartbreak. Some reviews critiqued the film's reliance on familiar haunted-house tropes and pacing issues in quieter moments, though these were often outweighed by the novelty of the canine viewpoint and Indy's charismatic performance. As of November 2025, the film has not yet received major retrospective analyses given its recent release.

Commercial performance

Good Boy! was produced on a micro-budget of $70,000. It premiered at in March 2025 and was released theatrically in the United States on October 3, 2025, by IFC Films, expanding to 1,650 theaters in its second weekend. The film earned $2.3 million in its opening weekend and grossed $6.6 million domestically by the end of its run in November 2025. Internationally, it added $2.1 million, for a worldwide total of $8.7 million. As an indie , Good Boy! outperformed expectations, recouping its budget multiple times over and becoming one of Shudder's top theatrical performers. Its success was bolstered by strong word-of-mouth from positive reviews and the unique dog-led premise, amid competition from other fall 2025 releases. Following its theatrical run, it became available for streaming on Shudder starting November 2025.

Cultural significance

Themes

Good Boy! explores themes of and the human-dog bond within a horror framework, emphasizing the dog's unwavering devotion amid isolation and unseen threats. The , told entirely from Indy's perspective, highlights vulnerability and powerlessness as Todd confronts personal and familial decline in the haunted rural house. entities symbolize generational trauma and inescapable "familial rot," blurring the lines between , , and the owner's deteriorating , with Indy serving as a confused yet protective . Recurring motifs underscore interspecies trust and the limits of perception. Indy's heightened senses—relying on smell, sound, and instinct—build tension, portraying nature as both a shelter and a source of dread in the secluded setting. The film subverts traditional horror tropes by centering the canine protagonist as a heroic figure, whose loyalty transcends verbal communication, fostering emotional resonance through non-anthropomorphic storytelling. Themes of inheritance and betrayal emerge as Indy navigates the burdens of his owner's past, illustrating how emotional connections provide solace against malevolent forces. Aimed at horror audiences, Good Boy! conveys messages of resilience and unconditional support without from the lead. Indy's journey promotes acceptance of one's instincts and the protective role of pets, reinforcing that bonds built on can confront even isolation. These elements deliver atmospheric scares with underlying tragedy, making the film accessible while probing deeper psychological and relational dynamics.

Impact and legacy

Good Boy! has been positioned as an innovative entry in indie horror, with its SXSW premiere in March 2025 generating buzz for the unique canine viewpoint and emotional depth, leading to a wider theatrical release by IFC Films. The film achieved commercial success relative to its $70,000 micro-budget, grossing $6.6 million domestically and $8.7 million worldwide as of November 2025. As of November 2025, no sequels, remakes, or expansions have been announced, positioning it as a standalone debut for director Ben Leonberg. Its legacy lies in pioneering pet-perspective horror, influencing discussions on non-human narration in and elevating the role of real animals in cinema without CGI reliance. The production, from Pictures affiliates, contributes to early 2020s indie horror trends blending scares with heartfelt pet stories, similar to but distinct from voiceover animal adventures in films like Coco (). Availability on Shudder has sustained viewership among horror enthusiasts and pet lovers.

References

  1. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/good_boy_2025
  2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35521922/
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/02/good-boy-movie-review-supernatural-horror
  4. https://www.sagindie.org/interviews/ben-leonberg-kari-fischer-good-boy/
  5. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/good-boy-movie/
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4-CRkd_74g
  7. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35521922/plotsummary/
  8. https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1422096-good-boy/cast
  9. https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/good-boy-review-1236537881/
  10. https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/good-boy-indy-the-dog-filmmaking-interview-1235155132/
  11. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt35521922/
  12. https://deadline.com/2025/10/indie-film-box-office-good-boy-haunted-house-dog-star-ifc-1236570602/
  13. https://www.screamhorrormag.com/final-trailer-for-good-boy-highlights-praise-for-canine-lead/
  14. https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/10/17/dog-led-horror-thriller-good-boy-gets-streaming-premiere-date/
  15. https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/good-boy-2025
  16. https://www.metacritic.com/movie/good-boy-2025/
  17. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/good-boy-dog-horror-movie-review-2025
  18. https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/good-boy-movie-horror-movie-review-dog-pov-1235102488/
  19. https://deadline.com/2025/10/indie-film-box-office-ifc-good-boy-strong-second-weekend-1236582961/
  20. https://www.polygon.com/good-boy-horror-movie-dog-shudder-streaming/
  21. https://darkfilmtheories.com/good-boy-theories/
  22. https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/good-boy/good-boy-2025-review-dog-horror-movie-indy-retriever-story-performance-ben-leonberg
  23. https://variety.com/2025/film/news/good-boy-ben-leonberg-dog-indie-horror-1236373319/
  24. https://screenrant.com/good-boy-2025-movie-shudder-second-highest-grossing-box-office-chart-update/
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