In the official trailer for Good Boy, released Monday, Indy, a loyal dog, and his owner Todd (Shane Jensen) move to a new home but find paranormal activity lurking in the dark. As these evil forces encroach, the pup finds the courage to protect his owner and territory.
The preview kicks off with snippets of Indy as a pup with heartwarming messages on the screen including, “man’s best friend”, “always by your side” and “through the good times.” The trailer then takes a scary turn, as the dog perks up following suspicious sounds in the dead of night.
Eerie knocking fills the silence in the house, and Indy heads over to investigate. The banging only grows louder as an unknown person pounds their forehead into a door. Indy barks loudly to alert Todd that something is wrong, but viewers are left on a cliffhanger as the clip sharply cuts away.
A barrage of spooky scenes follow, with Todd’s grandfather (Larry Fessenden) unleashing a bloodcurdling growl as the dog looks on. Fast paced clips of Indy fill the rest of the preview as he scampers through forests and keeps watch at night.
The official synopsis of Good Boy states: “Our canine hero, Indy, finds himself on a new adventure with his human owner — and best friend — Todd, leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. From the start, two things are abundantly clear: Indy is wary of the creepy old house, and his affection for Todd is unwavering.”
Good Boy marks director Ben Leonberg’s feature debut, and there is no better main actor for his first feature than his own dog, Indy.
The Good Boy cast also includes Arielle Friedman, Anya Krawcheck and Stuart Rudin. The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival back in March.
IFC Films will release the film in North American theaters on Oct. 3, with the U.K. release following a week later on Oct. 10.
