Shudder’s Good Boy has a new trailer, and it is instantly raising our anxiety level. The main reason for that is Good Boy is a unique horror movie, told from the perspective of a loyal pup – played by a talented dog performer named Indy – as he and his owner come face-to-face with dark, terrifying forces.

Indy’s owner, Ben Leonberg, directs the movie that stars Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, and Larry Fessenden. Leonberg co-wrote the script with Alex Cannon. The movie premieres October 3 in theaters.

The new Good Boy trailer highlights the acclaim the movie has garnered, which includes a 95% “Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes and plenty of praise for Indy’s performance; read ScreenRant’s Good Boy review for our take. However, it also ratchets up the feelings for any animal lover, who will likely echo the sentiment of one quote in the trailer – “If the dog dies we riot.”

Watch the Good Boy trailer right here:

As the trailer notes, Good Boy tickets are now on sale.

What This Means For Good Boy

Good Boy is arriving at the perfect time in the calendar, as its October release falls in the heart of Halloween season. It also is set to arrive a week after The Strangers: Chapter 2 and two weeks before Black Phone 2, meaning that it will have a window where it is the newest horror movie in theaters.

Both The Strangers: Chapter 2 and Black Phone 2 are sequels to established horror hits, but indie horror movies have been known to break out. Some classic examples are The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and, more recently, Longlegs. Horror has also had a good year in 2025 with Weapons, Final Destination: Bloodlines, and The Conjuring: Last Rites. Shudder also had a mini-hit earlier this year with Dangerous Animals.

None of this guarantees box office success, but Good Boy looks to have a lot going for it to make some waves.

Our Take On Good Boy Trailer

Every few years, we get a breakout animal performer. Back in 2023 it was Anatomy of a Fall‘s Messi. Then there was The Artist‘s Jack Russell terrier, Uggie. Indy seems poised to be 2025’s breakout dog star.

It’s a clever tactic by the filmmakers to tell a horror movie from a dog’s perspective. Pretty much everyone has a gut reaction when a dog or any kind of pet faces danger in a movie or TV show. Well, Good Boy is putting that anxiety front and center. If the trailer is any indication, it will make for a tense viewing experience.

With that being said, I’ll have to echo some of the sentiments of many of the pull quotes in the trailer – protect Indy at all costs!