Dog Investigates the Paranormal in Horror Trailer for Haunted House Film "Good Boy"

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The first trailer for horror film "Good Boy" has been released, and it immediately stands out from the genre — audiences are seeing a haunted house story through a dog's eyes for the first time.

The plot follows Todd (Shane Jensen) and his dog Indie as they move into his grandfather's old house (Larry Fessenden). While the owner doesn't believe the ghost rumors, the dog senses something otherworldly and decides to protect his human, even at his own risk.

What the trailer shows

The trailer emphasizes contrast: it starts with warm, sweet scenes of a puppy playing with his owner, shot in sunny tones. Then the picture sharply changes — in the darkness, Indie hears knocking, follows the sound, and encounters a terrifying man banging his head against a door. The climax shows the dog in front of a TV while a strange creature slowly rises behind him.

Behind-the-scenes facts

The film's main hook is seeing everything from the dog's perspective. Director Ben Leonberg and producer Cary Fisher, according to Deadline, deliberately avoided CGI: all scenes were performed by Leonberg's real dog.
Good Boy movie trailer
The camera follows his movements, filming the world at paw level, creating an immersive effect that emphasizes the character's vulnerability. Production took over a year — 400 days — because Indie wasn't professionally trained, and the entire shoot had to adapt to his behavior.

The concept and vision

Leonberg noted in interviews that the idea came from simple observation: "Every owner has wondered at least once why their dog barks at nothing or stares into a corner. We turned that into the foundation of horror."

Festival reactions

Festivals received the film with enthusiasm. At South by Southwest, Indie received the playful "Howl of Fame" award. At the Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans, they had to hold three screenings because too many people wanted to see the film.

Why you should be excited

Right now, "Good Boy" has a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with worldwide release starting October 3rd. For audiences, this is a chance to see an unusual horror where a house pet becomes the main witness to the supernatural.
Movie poster showing a red dog looking at hand shadows, with the same dog standing next to people with a flashlight on the right
Good Boy movie poster and still
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The film's also worth anticipating because horror movies with animals at the center are extremely rare. The last time I remember such an effect was with "Cujo" and "Pet Sematary" based on Stephen King's work.

Worth watching if you:
  • want to see horror from an unusual perspective;
  • have ever wondered what your pet sees and feels;
  • love haunted house movies;
  • appreciate real animal performances over CGI;
  • miss Stephen King-style horror.
Earlier on zoomboola.com, we covered the trailer for "Rental Family," where Brendan Fraser becomes a "relative for hire."