Good morning House of Madness residents:
As you're out at work, doing groceries, peeping in your neighbour's windows, or whatever it is you choose to spend your time on, have you ever stopped yourself and wondered just what the hell your dog gets up to while you're gone? Is he watching ESPN? Does he secretly have friends over, and they're replacing all of your vodka with water as you mindlessly chat around the water cooler? Perhaps your family pet rearranges every piece of furniture in your house, starting later and later each time, in hopes of obliterating his personal best time from the day before. Unless you have a security cam, who knows just what those little fuckers get up to.
"Good Boy" delves into the mind of man's best friend, and we get to see the world through the unique eyes of Indy (himself), as he tries to cope through his new strange home that he has moved into with his owner. Indy has been around the block before, and not just to mark his territory, so with a new environment comes new noises, smells, and shadows in the night. As days pass, however, Indy begins to feel uneasy, sensing a malevolent presence with sinister motives, especially towards his owner. Indy's fears quickly morph into reality, as he begins experiencing visions and terrors that simply can't be explained away as simple nightmares. His owner isn't just acting 'off', he seems to be changing into a monster that Indy seems helpless to protect him from, and is distraught with emptiness and gloom as he tries to reconnect with the one person that he loves most.
"Good Boy" really excels where other films have struggled whilst having a K-9 as their main star, simply because the film is shot over time in a way that feels natural, and not just some dog doing stupid pet tricks for Milk Bones. As silly as the premise may sound, it wasn't long before I found myself resonating with Indy, as fear and dread permeated through every follicle of his furry exterior. As far as the message the film was trying to deliver, it's been done better, and told more convincingly, but it never felt cliché or predictable, thanks to some fine acting by our furry friend. What a good boy!
Madness Meter: 6.8/10
NB
