Horror is a vast and tricky genre. Get it right, and it can do almost anything, and say so very much. Do it wrong, and it can be among the worst things you will see in a given year. It is a genre that abides by rules, spoken or otherwise. It is one that lends itself to creativity in modes of telling in ways other sorts of films do no. Good Boy, the debut film from Ben Leonberg is a film about a dog, and the entire film is seen through that animal’s eyes, which means that the rules here are going to be vague.
Courtesy IFC
One thing we are accustomed to in horror is knowing precisely what is going on, at least after a while. Here, because our point of view character is an animal, the approach is less intellectual than instinctual and emotional. It may take some time to become accustomed to, but once you give over to the style, this is a satisfying feature. No, we might not get to see our protagonist’s human’s face, other than very briefly, and we get little to no concrete explanation of what is going on. Yet, that is fine. The film has its own style, and it maintains great consistency within that style.
Given we are seeing everything in the way a dog would, we would not get huge answers. We would get impressions and a sense of fear or wanting to protect our loved ones, an approach that heightens the dramatic stakes while also raising the mystery. This is a film in which much is shown and little is told. In a very real sense, it is a more classical visual story than modern horror typically presents.
That means paying attention to what the dog finds. That means considering what you are being told, without knowing you are being told. Your potential confusion and sadness is a sign the film is working, because it makes you empathize with this animal. Yet, as a human taking in information the protagonist can only somewhat process, there are mysteries to unfold which may become clear either as the film progresses or once it is over.
Courtesy IFC
This reviewer knows what they think is going on. Another viewer may have an entirely different understanding. How often do horror films, or any films, offer up that much of a Rorschach test to an audience? As a technical product, this film is lean and yet not cheap. It is spare, tight, and yet full of wonder. The photography, makeup and sets, as well as editing and music create much of the sense of foreboding. It is remarkable that a film about a dog desperately trying to understand and aid its owner during a truly terrible period, can be so engaging. Do not miss this one.
Good Boy is now playing in theaters and is available on digital.
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