Following Shudder’s trailer release for Good Boy, one particular question saw a 2000% spike in Google searches. Co-written by Ben Leonberg and Alex Cannon, the 2025 supernatural horror movie follows a familiar premise, but with a twist, in which a loyal dog confronts supernatural forces in a haunted house.
Marked as Leonberg’s feature directorial debut, the movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Oct. 3, 2025. Yesterday, Shudder dropped its first trailer for Good Boy, teasing an intense haunted house story told entirely from the dog’s point of view.
Since then, the search for “does the dog die in ‘GOOD BOY’” has gone up by 2000% via Google search. With the movie having premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival in March, potential viewers can find the answer they’re looking for, and Indy, who played the тιтular dog, won the first-ever Howl of Fame award at the festival.
What This Means For Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy
From John Wick to I Am Legend, the on-screen death of a dog can be deeply upsetting, and with no warning, many viewers left the theater heartbroken. Many famous dramatic pictures involve a dog dying, including this being frequent among horror movies. Due to this, many viewers would prefer to research beforehand to avoid a distressing experience.
Now, with arguably the biggest concern out of the way, those who are interested in the movie can safely watch it without worrying about potential triggers when it arrives in theaters. Leonberg’s supernatural horror was well-received at its world premiere. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%, Good Boy was regarded by some as one of the best horror films of the year.
Many described the watching experience as being spooky, unnerving, but also heartfelt. The 2000% spike in Google keyword search following Good Boy‘s trailer release further suggests overwhelming interest in the movie.
Our Take On Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy
Dogs have taken on lead roles in films before, but it’s been a long time since any movie was bold enough to put a non-human actor in the spotlight. Indy’s performance has received a lot of praise from critics. While ScreenRant‘s review for Good Boy only gave it a 6 out of 10 rating, Graemme Guttman admitted that Indy is “the cutest ghost hunter you’ve ever seen.”
Good Boy‘s trailer, on the other hand, teases a deeply unsettling story. The human’s point of view, due to its limitations, can’t help but leave some details out. However, the dog’s perspective fills in the blanks, which makes the movie even more terrifying.