Does the Dog Survive in Good Boy? We Have the Answer

This article does not contain spoilers for Good Boy, although we’ve used the film’s marketing materials to figure out the answer to this all-important question.

Good Boy, one of the year’s most anticipated horror movies, is set to launch in theaters on October 3 courtesy of IFC and Shudder. With positive reviews off the festival circuit after its SXSW Film Festival debut (including a 7/10 from IGN’s Eric Goldman), audiences have been clamoring for this unique haunted house premise shot from the perspective of Indy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. However, the one question many wanted answered as early as the first trailer is whether or not the dog lives at the end of the movie. After all, the main characters getting killed in a horror movie is not unheard of, and since Indy is effectively the film’s protagonist, many dog-loving audience members need that extra bit of assurance before they’re willing to sit down with what could be a traumatizing watch.

Does the Good Boy Live by the End of Good Boy?

Well, we can allay your concerns: The dog almost certainly lives.

I have not seen the film yet, but let’s look at the evidence. Yes, lovable Indy certainly faces some supernatural peril along the way, but it seems the chances of him dying by the end of the movie are almost zero. The marketing team even dropped an exclusive PSA earlier this month that basically confirmed this after many prospective fans were making comments on social media inquiring as to Indy’s fate.

Thankfully, director Ben Leonberg, who is making his feature debut with this film, knew that most people probably didn’t want to see a good boy hurt. It makes extra sense too since Indy, who is named that in both the film and real life, is in fact Leonberg’s own dog. And although Indy’s in-universe human is named Todd and is played by Shane Jensen, Leonberg sometimes stood in for Todd in shots where he could get away with it, cementing Indy’s performance as he played with his IRL best friend on camera.

How Good Boy Was Made

By all accounts, Indy’s performance is the biggest reason to see this movie beyond the novel gimmick of centering the movie on a dog’s POV, with the canine actor receiving a Howl of Fame Award out of SXSW for his work. Most reviews have spotlighted how well Indy works as the film’s lead, which is backed up by how Leonberg chose to shoot the film. He and cinematographer Wade Grebnoel keep the camera almost always at Indy’s eye level, and the human characters mostly have their faces obscured aside from in a handful of key moments. While some filmgoers may be reticent about an entire movie shot in this style, the positive reviews and confirmation of Indy’s survival indicate that most people who go see it will be pleased with the experience.

Leonberg will also hopefully be pleased with the film’s reception, since he and Indy certainly put their time in to make it. Good Boy was shot over the course of three years because of stipulations as to how long dogs can work on sets. Most productions that film with live animals and not CGI counterparts require the use of several doubles of the animal actors since they can’t work for more than three hours a day. But Good Boy exclusively used Indy because of his connection to Leonberg, meaning shooting days were on Indy’s schedule, not his owner’s. Leonberg and his producing partner (and wife) Kari Fischer set up their own production company (called What's Wrong With Your Dog?) and lived in the house the film is set in while making the film, meaning the endeavor was a true labor of love for everyone involved.

Directors and Their Dogs

And that’s the real story at the heart of Good Boy: the love shared between a dog and their human, only this time they’re threatened by a malevolent force. Reviews say that the genuine bond shared by Leonberg and Indy comes out on screen and is a huge part of what seems to have made the film creatively successful. It also fits in with dogs having a big moment in film in 2025, with Krypto the Superdog making a big splash as part of James Gunn’s Superman reboot. Although Krypto was ultimately created with digital VFX for Superman, his model was based on Gunn’s own dog Ozu, meaning both Good Boy and Superman feature their director’s dogs. Why else make a movie but to put your dog on the big screen, really?

As for Indy’s future in the business and whether the dog actor may take on more film roles, Leonberg addressed the idea in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying “I think he's retired and very happy. But if the right dog food brand wants to make a Super Bowl commercial, we'll certainly entertain it. He loves to work. It's more about who would have the resources to pull it off. So we'll see.”

Are you excited for Good Boy? Let us know in the comments!