The Mosley Review: Good Boy
The title "indie darling" is usually reserved for actors or films that became a success or amassed a huge cult following in the independent film world sometime after the release. Its especially rare for a film to garner that title instantly upon release in theaters. In my book, this film has earned that title because of its bold and niche perspective in the supernatural genre. As someone that has grown up with dogs all their life, I have witnessed moments where my dogs had stared at a random corner or room where nothing was there. I've always believed the myth that animals, especially dogs, have a sensitivity to the spiritual world and I loved that this film finally explores that. Given that it truly is a low budget labor of love, this film looked fantastic and the performances of the lead and the humans were amazing across the bored. I was thoroughly engaged and emotionally distraught by the finale.
Indy, as himself, was outstanding. Dogs naturally express emotion through their eyes and movement and Indy delivers the complete package. The story is revealed through him and I loved his sense of discovery as the visions and warnings start to appear more frequently. When Indy is in peril, it will take every ounce of self control for you to not want to dive into the screen to save him. Fear not, Indy was surprisingly durable and resourceful. Shane Jensen was great as his owner, Todd. His chemistry with Indy was fantastic and the bond they have was heartfelt. The physical pain and psychological torment this man goes through was rough. It’s established from the start that the man is medically in bad shape and the effects of it are explored in some of the scariest and saddest ways. Arielle Friedman was good as Todd's sister, Vera. For the time we spent with her via phone calls and a few on screen moments, she delivers the perfect amount of worry as she cares for her brother so much to the point of annoyance hilariously. Larry Fessenden gives a chilling performance as Todd's grandfather via video diaries. I loved that we got some lore about the house and the "family curse".
The score by Sam Boase-Miller was eerie and thrilling in the best way. It is used sparingly which added so much more to the quieter and more spooky moments. Visually, the film looked glorious for the budget the team had. I loved that the CGI was used to enhance the terror and not as a crutch. I had hesitation when wanting to view this film because like most, I can't handle films where dogs are getting harmed in a gratuitous manner. I'm happy to report that this film doesn't fall under that category. I truly recommend it for the spooky season we are currently in and its definitely one of the most emotional and bold films of the year. Do stick around for the end credits for a fantastic sneak peak at the making of the film. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
