Good Boy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Good Boy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 29, 2026

We lost legendary director David Lynch in 2025, but his filmmaking spirit is sure to carry on for quite some time. His love of the unreal and heavy moods inhabits a most unusual picture in “Good Boy,” a micro-budgeted offering of eeriness from co-writer/director Ben Leonberg, who casts his dog, Indy, in the main role of a loyal pet finding his sanity tested when his owner holes up inside a cabin, dealing with life and medical issues the animal doesn’t understand. Leonberg doesn’t have much of a story, turning to atmosphere to carry the short feature (running just over 70 minutes), attempting to taffy pull a simple idea into a surreal examination of canine companionship and protection, told from Indy’s POV. There’s an interesting viewing experience to be had with “Good Boy,” but those hunting for direct chills and thrills might feel a bit disappointed with Leonberg’s approach here, which is more artful than intense.

Todd (Shane Jensen) has a very good pet in Indy, raising the dog since he was a puppy, creating an unbreakable bond between them that’s carried them through good times and bad. Todd is battling an undefined illness, losing his life in the process, choosing to relocate to his Grandfather’s (Larry Fessenden) cabin in the woods, hoping to find some solitude to help manage his problems. Todd’s sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman), is genuinely concerned about her brother, trying to remain in phone contact with her sibling, urging him to deal with his problems and accept help. Todd remains committed to remaining alone, exploring his Grandfather’s home movies, where the old man is seen enjoying time with his dogs. Indy is faced with the mysteries of the dwelling, exploring the spooky area, coming into contact with shadowy visions and undefined threats that keep the canine on edge while he strives to remain close to his beloved human as he goes through physical pain.

“Good Boy” remains with Indy’s POV, which means we see his world from a low angle for most of the picture, and human faces are mostly obscured, with the exception of Grandfather’s appearances in his home videos. We learn right away that something isn’t right with Todd, and Leonberg also provides a brief history of Indy, who was offered love since day one. A video montage details their bonding period, while the dog’s name comes from Todd’s favorite movie, raising the pup with as much attention as possible. But life has other plans for the young man, who’s dealing with a physical issue that medicine can’t seem to cure, leaving him in a tough place where he’s forced to retreat to his Grandfather’s property, which Vera dubs the “cursed family house.” It’s a remote place, and Indy isn’t sure what to make of his new surroundings, staying close to his human while he works on finding generator power to use, which keeps the pair mostly in the dark.

Limited lighting is necessary for “Good Boy,” which was shot over three years featuring a real dog as the main character (there’s no “Call of the Wild”-style CGI here). Most of the viewing experience simply follows Indy around the dwelling, trying to understand the house and its many dark corners and secret spaces. Leonberg uses editing and shadows to hide production limitations, but he pulls out interesting behaviors and reactions from Indy, smoothly working the canine into positions and extracting specific looks from the star, generating a believable characterization. Human influence is felt too, as Todd ventures out to the family graveyard, encountering neighbor Mr. Downs, who’s a little unsure why the young man even wants his Grandfather’s home, also warning him about fox traps in the area, hoping to keep Indy out of harm’s way during hunting season.

Good Boy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The image presentation (2.00:1 aspect ratio) for "Good Boy" struggles mightily with compression issues. Banding is a common sight, running throughout the viewing experience, with some substantial flare-ups that interfere with intended nightmare imagery, messing with the spooky mood of the feature. Detail is acceptable, examining Indy's hairy appearance, and human characters retain some skin particulars when in focus. Housing interiors are decently dimensional, with clutter and decoration appreciable. Exteriors maintain depth. Color retains Indy's sandy brown appearance, and blood remains a deep red. Greenery is distinct, along with golden lighting. Delineation loses some stability along the way, but mostly holds together, supporting shadowy events.

Good Boy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix mostly deals with atmosphere in "Good Boy," but dialogue exchanges are secure, capturing distances and quieter scenes of conversation. Scoring supports with decent instrumentation, and musical moods offer more circular engagement at times. Sound effects are crisp, and atmospherics are understood, examining weather changes and outdoor travel. Low-end isn't challenged, but heavier beats and rougher physical activity carries some weight.

Good Boy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Ben Leonberg and producer Kari Fischer.

• Behind-the-Scenes (9:54, HD) is a fascinating look at the creation of "Good Boy." What's presented here is a mix of BTS footage and numerous scenes from the endeavor, watching director Ben Leonberg and producer Kari Fischer create a creepy picture basically by themselves, laboring to pull off some difficult visual ideas and work with their dog, Indy. Since vocal performances were added after the shoot, the raw footage here humorously inspects the push to "direct" Indy, who needed special commands and coaching to pull reactions and movement out of him. Also highlighted is visual effect shots and Leonberg's messy transformation into "The Shape."

• Making Of (4:33, HD) is hosted by director Ben Leonberg (joined by his star, Indy), who summarizes the herculean effort to create a suspense movie with his dog. The shoot carried on for over three years, forcing the helmer to go slowly and carefully with his shots, hoping to gets something special out of his canine star. BTS clips are provided to understand the labor involved (one eight-month-long stretch of production only produced five minutes of usable footage), and Leonberg also goes into film school mode, exploring his use of "The Kuleshov Effect" to help trigger audience interest in Indy's performance.

• Development Diary & Short Films (5:30, HD) examines the early stages of brainstorming on "Good Boy," putting co-writers Ben Leonberg and Alex Cannon to work trying to figure out how to tell a story from a dog's POV. Three short films are included, each exploring how to handle Indy's behavioral quirks and camera presence, ranging from test shoots to a mini-movie, pushing Leonberg to best understand the canine's abilities and selling points, including his unwavering stare.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

Good Boy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Those concerned about Indy's physical state in "Good Boy" can relax. Leonberg isn't going monstrous with the picture, which isn't really a horror film. It's more of a haunted house offering that takes lengthy dips into psychological situations, even visiting Indy's dreamscapes to get a better idea of the pooch's torment. Leonberg gets a little more active as the feature finds a climax, adding blood and sound effects to the endeavor, but he also remains in a state of confusion with small creative goals. There are touches of the surreal and some puzzling, but most interesting are examples of Indy's protective nature and hesitant curiosity. "Good Boy" isn't thrilling, but it remains compelling as a moviemaking experiment and small-scale nightmare, putting Leonberg to work piecing together behaviors and mystery with very little money and a most unusual leading man.