At this point, it’s borderline trite to say that we don’t deserve dogs. Of course, we don’t. But it’s interesting that director Ben Leonberg’s canine-level POV ghost movie “Good Boy” posits something even more heartbreaking and soul-enriching; perhaps dogs know it, that we are unworthy of their love, and yet they’ll leap into fire for us anyway.
“Good Boy” follows Indy, the loyal and doted-upon dog of Todd (Shane Jensen), as he is taken to live in an inherited house in the deep woods previously owned by his grandfather (the legendary Larry Fessenden). Todd, who is recovering from some degenerative, seemingly inherited, chronic condition, flees to the forest for some peace and natural healing. Indy, for his part, seems perfectly happy to be wherever Todd is, whether in the city or among the big scary trees and familial burial grounds. But there is a shadow lurking in the dark corners of the house, a looming figure of black viscous tar who seems to be corrupting Todd bit by bit. Indy begins to have visions of the grandfather’s own, long-dead dog, and the black figure leering when Todd does not. Sure that something is terribly wrong, Indy tries desperately to alert his father of the dangers lurking in the quiet of his grandfather’s ancestral home before it’s too late.
Shot over the course of approximately 400 days, husband and wife team Leonberg and Alex Cannon filmed little Indy around their own home in small sessions of one to three-hour chunks, coaxing him and playing with him to achieve the exact right reaction or hint of forlorn affection in the pup’s big brown eyes. They couldn’t have chosen a more endearing-looking protagonist for the film; it helps that Indy is Leonberg and Cannon’s own dog, yet to have crafted this kind of performance from a pup who had no idea he was in a movie is still a staggering achievement. The story itself, of a young man compelled to go to a cursed house where his grandfather died mysteriously, is the kind of setup that often yields compelling, sometimes even subversive results. “Good Boy” doesn’t dig much deeper than that surface level, showing us flashes of back story regarding Fessenden’s own slow demise and the birth of the sludge monster stalking the property. We don’t even understand what condition Todd is struggling with, only that insurance won’t cover the experimental treatment he would need, forcing him to resort to crystals and the healing power of ficuses. As a normal haunted house story, “Good Boy” is serviceable yet a bit dull. Thankfully, there is Indy and the central performance around which everything is built to elevate the material tremendously.
At the end of the credits at my in theater screening, there was a ten-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with Director Ben Leonberg explaining the process of making the film, of using squeak toys to coax Indy into being “scared,” and an explanation of the cinematic trick that allows the film to exist at all, known as the Kuleshov effect (Check out THIS video of Alfred Hitchcock explaining the effect. it’s really cool!) Seeing this demonstration of their highly unique filmmaking process added a whole new dimension to the film, an appreciation of not only the work but the innovation that somehow allowed Indy to be the hero of his own horror story. Sometimes the HOW of a film’s creation is even more important than the content of the film itself, and “Good Boy” has secured its space in that category for me, a special film about a special furry boy and the people who loved him enough to make him a star.
There is a point late in the film, when Indy is faced with a palpable choice: to go into the dark, haunted chasm after his owner and surely die in the process, or to flee into the forest. This is classic storytelling, where the hero is given the choice of personal safety or to face danger in order to save others. We believe the characters in movies will make the right choice because this is fiction, but we know how real people are: good-intentioned yet self-protective, more often than not. Perhaps that’s why we watch the movies, to see the ideal that we ourselves could only aspire to. The magic of “Good Boy” is that I never questioned that Indy would dive into the pits of hell after his father, even when faced with the sure knowledge of his own slow, brutal death. There was no real debate behind those big brown eyes and those lopsided ears. His person was in danger, so he would be there with him until the end. If “Good Boy” is about anything, quite similarly to last summer’s “Superman,” it is that dogs are not just better than us, they are the best of us, and perhaps we should start taking notes.
“Good Boy” is a movie with mid-level scares but max-level charm and empathy. Indy’s performance, whether he knows he was giving it or not, is somehow one of the most compelling screen depictions of love I’ve seen in a good long while. If you have dogs, give them a hug or a scratch or a rub on the belly the next time you see them. They deserve it for more than you know.
You’ll be glad you did.
“Good Boy” is playing at The Broad Theater and Prytania Theatres at Canal Place.
