If you’re like us, you don’t walk into a horror movie asking “who’s the final girl?” You walk in asking does the dog live? From John Wick’s devastating catalyst to the tear-streaked loyalty of Hachikō, audiences have made one thing clear: dogs don’t deserve sadness, and they are too good for us as humans. That is why Good Boy, an upcoming supernatural thriller that premiered at SXSW and already snagged the Howl of Fame Award, has horror fans (and dog lovers everywhere) buzzing.
The Trailer: From VHS Wholesome to VHS Horror
The trailer, trending at #6 on YouTube’s U.S. movie trailer chart, opens like a home video fever dream: a retriever wagging his tail, overlaid with callouts like “man’s best friend,” “always by your side,” and “through the good times.” It is wholesome enough to make you want to hug your own pup, until the record scratches.
Just as a little girl’s voice in the VHS-style video background calls out to the dog (pro tip: never trust children in horror movies), we get an ominous “And…” overlaid on the trailer. Suddenly the tone shifts, and the once cozy brightness cuts to darkness, shadow, and aloneness. The dog lays quietly in a dark room, ears pricked at slow knocks from somewhere seemingly inside the home.
Instead of barking like a typical screen-dog trope, our good boy moves with chilling intelligence, his body language screaming caution. Soon he abruptly encounters a man who may or may not be his beloved owner, now twisted by a zombie-like affliction, and abruptly repeatedly bashing his zombified face against a wall. What follows is a tense blend of supernatural dread and primal loyalty. Judging from the cut of the trailer, the editing team deserves credit for capturing canine expressions that tell a story without the human dialogue.
Watch the Good Boy (2025) Official Trailer
Why This Works: Evolution + Emotion
Humans and dogs have been co-evolving for thousands of years. We did not just train them, they learned to mimic our facial cues, anticipate our moods, and bridge communication in ways no other animal does. Watching Good Boy feels like that evolutionary bond weaponized for storytelling.
Unlike Homeward Bound or Look Who’s Talking Now, there is no cutesy narration or voiceover here. The dog is the protagonist, carrying the film with expression, instinct, and the kind of heart language that bypasses dialogue altogether.
It is also bold filmmaking, letting a dog not just support the plot, but drive it. Horror thrives on empathy, and no audience is quicker to empathize with than one rooting for a dog.
Who’s Behind the Film
Directed by Ben Leonberg, Good Boy stars Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman, Shane Jensen, Anya Krawcheck, Stuart Rudin, and most importantly Indy the retriever. Leonberg, known for blending indie grit with supernatural tones, leans into an old-school VHS aesthetic in parts of the opening to maximize unease.
And it is already paying off. The SXSW Howl of Fame Award win cements its reputation as a festival darling and positions it as a serious contender for “best horror of the year” chatter.
Release Date: October 3rd
Releasing on October 3rd, 2025, Good Boy is shaping up to be the horror event of the fall. Coincidentally, that is the same day Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl drops. It is a fun bit of cosmic timing, and Swifties might just find themselves pairing a theater ticket with the album on release day. After all, what better cool-down after supernatural chills than queuing up “Actually Romantic” or “Honey” on the drive home?
No matter your fandom, there is one thing everyone can agree on: we want the good boy to live.
✨ Verdict: Good Boy is shaping up to be the horror event of the year, not just for jump scares but for emotional stakes. It asks the one question that matters: when darkness comes knocking, who protects man’s best friend while he is protecting us? On October 3rd, the answer hits theaters. Let us hope the ending is one audiences deserve, because dogs should only ever be given the happy endings they earn.
In anticipation of all the future dog adopters, all breeds are wonderful, but this particular actor is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
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