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Good Boy (2025 film)

Good Boy is a 2025 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Ben Leonberg in his feature directorial debut.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Good Boy is a 2025 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Ben Leonberg in his feature directorial debut. The film is told largely from the perspective of Indy, Leonberg’s dog, who senses a supernatural presence threatening his owner in a rural house. It premiered at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival in March 2025 and was released theatrically in the United States on October 3, 2025.

Premise

The film centres on Todd and his dog Indy after they move into Todd’s late grandfather’s house in rural New Jersey. Indy begins noticing frightening supernatural activity that Todd cannot see.

Production

Good Boy was co-written and directed by Ben Leonberg, with Alex Cannon as co-writer. It is described as Leonberg’s feature directorial debut.

Release

The film premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival before receiving a U.S. theatrical release on October 3, 2025. Independent Film Company and Shudder handled the U.S. release.

Reception

Coverage described the film as a ghost story from a dog’s point of view and noted its unusual concept and animal-led performance. Rotten Tomatoes lists a PG-13 rating and a 73-minute runtime.

Key facts

  • Ben Leonberg co-wrote and directed the film as his feature debut.
  • The story follows a dog named Indy and his owner Todd after they move into a rural house with a haunted reputation.
  • The film uses a dog’s perspective as its central storytelling device.
  • Indy is credited as a lead performer alongside human cast members.
  • The film premiered at South by Southwest in March 2025 and later opened in U.S. theatres on October 3, 2025.
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Canadian context

The film is primarily a U.S. independent release, but it may be of interest to Canadian viewers through festival coverage, horror-film distribution, and streaming availability patterns in Canada; no Canada-specific production connection is established in the provided sources.

Frequently asked questions

What is Good Boy (2025 film) about?
It follows a dog named Indy who senses supernatural danger in a rural house after moving there with his owner Todd.
Who directed Good Boy?
Ben Leonberg directed the film and co-wrote it with Alex Cannon.
When was Good Boy released?
It premiered at South by Southwest on March 8, 2025, and was released theatrically in the United States on October 3, 2025.
Who stars in the film?
The credited cast includes Indy, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, and Larry Fessenden.
What genre is it?
It is a supernatural horror film.

References

  1. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35521922/
    Supports: Film identity, synopsis, genre, and credited lead roles
  2. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/good_boy_2025
    Supports: Director, producer, screenwriter, distributor, rating, runtime, release dates, and synopsis
  3. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Boy_(2025_Leonberg_film)
    Supports: Premiere date, U.S. release date, cast, and plot summary
  4. YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ9qp0Cc81U
    Supports: Alternate synopsis that the plot centers on a man living with a dog-like man, but this appears to describe a different film and is not used here