In cinema there are many resources to tell stories: from the most visual, such as photography, to directing decisions such as the use of a camera on the shoulder or tripod, as well as color or small microgestures in interpretation; among all of them stands out the Kuleshov effectnamed by Soviet filmmaker Lev Kuleshov in the 1920s. This technique plays with the viewer in a curious way: it causes us to associate different emotions and meanings with neutral faces depending on the image that follows or precedes them. In Good Boy We find a clear example of how to use this resource to its fullest extent.
Give this dog an Oscar
In this film, barely an hour and a quarter long, we follow Indy, a retriever from Nova Scotia who faces a demon that inhabits the house where he lives with his human, Todd. It breaks many horror film standards, since the entire film is shot from the dog’s perspective. Human faces are barely visible—often out of focus or out of frame, or simply obscured by light or clothing—so Much of the acting weight falls on the animal.
Indy, protagonist of Good Boy (Ben Leonberg, 2025), in a dark interior illuminated by a flashlight. Image: Filmin. OF THE MOVIE
The pillar of Good Boy It’s Indy. Directed by Ben Leonberg, no voiceover, no tricks, no CGI – Indy is a real dog —a debutante and, also, the director’s pet—, without training for acting. The filmmaker demonstrates editing skills: he activates the Kuleshov effect to add meaning to his looks and shots. We feel fear, anguish or terror, not because the dog is “acting”, but because what surrounds its gaze and its expressiveness invites us to experience those emotions. In the first five minutes two things become clear: Indy’s expressiveness—without saying a single word he conveys more than many bipedal performers—and the thoroughness of the editing, staging and direction..
The story follows a dog and his fragile owner facing a demon and illness—although it may have been the same thing every time. Although the plot relies on commonplaces and does not offer anything new on that front, the film thrills: we end up rooting for Indy, we fear for his well-being and there are scenes of real fear, well created and tense. Hearing a dog cry breaks you; Hearing Indy bark also multiplies the anguish. What for a human would be “investigating the mystery,” for Indy is “protecting what is mine,” and that is where horror finds its true strength.
The dog that sometimes saw ghosts
Camera on the shoulder and at ground level: the house looks like Indy would look at it, and that decision works wonders. With limited resources and a lot of ingenuity, the film oozes mime in how he uses light (darkness, backlighting) and sound (recognizable domestic noises, well-measured silences). The jump scares They are few and well placed: when they arrive, they work.
Indy, protagonist of Good Boy (Ben Leonberg, 2025), in the forest in front of a fallen log; In the background, a diffuse human presence. Image: Filmin. OF THE MOVIE
The film is direct and that suits it very well. Even so, in the second half there is a certain repetition of the pattern and, at times, it seems to doubt the next step; The short duration cushions it and the last section adjusts the tension again.
In short, a fresh and very well executed proposalideal for this Halloweenwith a clear point of view, ingenuity with limited resources and a protagonist who is impossible to forget. Please give this dog an Oscar.
André Itamara Vila Neto é um blogueiro apaixonado por guias de viagem e criador do Road Trips for the Rockstars . Apaixonado por explorar tesouros escondidos e rotas cênicas ao redor do mundo, André compartilha guias de viagem detalhados, dicas e experiências reais para inspirar outros aventureiros a pegar a estrada com confiança. Seja planejando a viagem perfeita ou descobrindo tesouros locais, a missão de André é tornar cada jornada inesquecível.
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