Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy ends on a surprising note, and here’s why the filmmakers always intended for Indy the dog to survive in the finale, despite the film’s bloody twists. Serving as Leonberg’s directorial debut, Good Boy is a supernatural horror movie which is told from the perspective of a dog. The film was released theatrically on October 3, 2025.

Good Boy has been met with mostly positive reviews from early audiences, earning a respectable 91% Tomatometer and 89% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised its offbeat tone, heartfelt performances, and the horror film’s innovative approach. Evidently, Good Boy has struck a unique chord with audiences, and left many wondering about the film’s final moments, with Vera rescuing Indy.

Now, in an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, director Ben Leonberg and producer Kari Fischer reveal that Good Boy’s ending was never up for debate. When asked if there was ever a version where Indy didn’t survive, Leonberg bluntly answered, “No, Indy was always going to live,” adding that they never considered the alternative, because it “never felt narratively right.”

Leonberg explained that they couldn’t kill off Indy as “so much of it is his story,” and as a character who is willing to lay down his life for others, “the better ending is that they have to go on living.” Indy’s survival is a thematic necessity for Good Boy, which subverts horror tropes by allowing the dog to live.

Leonberg Already Spoiled Good Boy’s Ending Before Release

Ahead of the film’s release, director Leonberg actually spoiled whether the dog survives in Good Boy during interviews. This was because there was a 2000% Google search spike around the topic after Good Boy’s trailer was released. Leonberg stated that spoiling Indy’s survival doesn’t exactly lessen the stakes, comparing the situation to Tom Cruise’s character always surviving in Mission: Impossible.

This approach flips the usual spoiler-avoidance rule on its head for good reason. Leonberg was aware of that, “usually that dog in horror movies doesn’t make it out of act one.” Therefore, anxiety around Indy’s death could be a dealbreaker for many. By confirming that Indy lives, he reframed expectations and ᴀssured audiences the film would be satisfying, not scarring.

Our Take On Indy’s Survival And Good Boy’s Approach

The decision to let Indy live in Good Boy flips the usual horror formula. The family dog is an emotional casualty in many horror films, sacrificed to raise stakes or punish hope. Films like The Thing, I Am Legend, and The Babadook use animal deaths to signal that no one is truly safe, or even to motivate the protagonist.

However, Good Boy breaks that mold, inviting change. By letting Indy live and allowing Vera to save him, the film challenges the nihilism so common in the genre. Leonberg’s decision to spoil the ending was evidently a good one, as it not only invites wider audiences, but it elevates the narrative, allowing you to focus purely on Good Boy’s horror.