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Good Boy, the SXSW breakout that tells a haunted house story through a dog’s eyes, just got a surprise upgrade: IFC has bumped the film from a planned limited run to a full wide theatrical release after its trailer blew up online. The teaser racked up more than a million views in days, and millions more across other channels, convincing the distributor to expand the film’s October 3, 2025, launch.
Good Boy premiered at SXSW and has earned strong early reviews and a near 95 percent critics rating, making this viral moment feel less like hype and more like genuine momentum. With Shudder involved for genre distribution, the movie is now positioned to reach mainstream horror audiences this fall.
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The Good Boy trailer feels like a bait-and-switch dream. It opens with grainy warmth, Indy the dog bounding through fields, a dog stitched into his owner’s joy.
The words float in: “Man’s best friend. Always by your side. Through the good times/And…" And then it shifts.
The air thickens, and the film tilts into shadow. Indy pads forward as terror surrounds the house. A bloody man, blood down a bathroom drain, muddy footsteps, and his shrieks. And through it all, Indy looks. It’s not gore that unsettles, but innocence pressed against something unspeakable. The trailer collectively made viewers uncomfortable and anxious for the dog, such that Google searches for the dog's safety skyrocketed.
With an unconventional take on horror, Good Boy is shaping up to be one of the year's most anticipated films.
More details about Good Boy
Good Boy is already being hailed as one of 2025’s most original horror films, and it earns that reputation from its very first frame. Directed by Ben Leonberg in his feature debut and co-written with Alex Cannon, the film reframes the classic haunted house story through an unlikely lens. That simple but startling choice turns familiar tropes into something uncanny, even heartbreaking.
The story is simple: grief drives Todd, played by Shane Jensen, back to his grandfather’s crumbling farmhouse, a place heavy with silence and superstition. To Todd, the house is only wood and dust, a shelter from loss. To Indy, it's more.
The dog begins to perceive sinister presences that remain hidden from human eyes, their menace growing with each passing night. With no way to speak his fears, Indy shoulders the burden alone, his loyalty and instincts becoming the only defense against forces determined to consume his owner.
What makes Good Boy stand out is its visual language. Leonberg often shoots from the dog’s eye level, grounding the film in Indy’s perspective and forcing the audience to occupy his vulnerability. There are no CGI tricks to lean on, Indy is Leonberg’s own dog Shane, and critics have praised the natural performance that carries the film’s emotional core. At just 72 minutes, the story is lean, but its impact lingers.
Good Boy will be in theaters on October 3, 2025.
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