IFC's 'Good Boy' Horror Film Opens Strong $2.2 Million Nationwide

"Good Boy" (2025) is a supernatural horror film told almost entirely from the perspective of a dog named Indy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, who must protect his owner Todd from dark forces in a rural family home. Directed and co-written by Ben Leonberg, the film uniquely leverages Indy’s untrained but expressive performance, which garnered strong audience reactions and even an acting award for the dog. Initially planned as a limited release, the film expanded theatrically due to viral online attention, with the trailer amassing over 100 million views and the official trailer hitting over 2 million views, prompting IFC to distribute it widely across 1,650 theaters in the U.S. "Good Boy" debuted at #9 on domestic box office charts, earning around $2.2 million, marking IFC’s second-best opening and third-best overall. Critics and audiences praised the fresh horror perspective through the dog's eyes, with the film successfully breaking through the noise of a crowded market and achieving strong regional box office performance. This low-budget feature also highlights the creative filmmaking process that prioritized the comfort of its canine star, resulting in a unique and emotionally engaging horror experience.