A 2025 Horror Movie With A 90% Rotten Tomatoes Score Has Stephen King's Stamp Of Approval

2025 was a great year for horror, covering the gamut from body horror to creature features to psychological thrillers. Yet, the most stand out of the pack centers on a dog witnessing supernatural events with "Good Boy." Critics adored it, earning a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it's even earned the distinction of Stephen King's praise. The famed horror author behind such classics as "It," "The Shining," and "Carrie" took to BlueSky on January 9 to get the word out about the dog-centric horror flick: "Ben Leonberg's short and rather wonderful movie, 'GOOD BOY,' is shot from the dog's perspective. It works." 

The movie involves Todd (Shane Jensen), a man suffering from chronic lung disease, moving to a remote farm with his pup, Indy (playing himself). As Todd's health deteriorates, Indy witness strange apparitions and occurrences around the farm, and like any good boy, he goes the extra mile to keep his owner safe. And in case you're on the fence about watching it because you're worried about whether the dog dies, let's just say you'll be okay with Indy's fate by the end of "Good Boy."

"Good Boy" received largely positive reviews, with many deeming the film equal parts scary and moving. Much of that praise went to Indy, who is fascinating to witness. Director and co-writer Ben Leonberg explained that shooting "Good Boy" took over three years and 400 days because they could only film with Indy for a couple of hours at a time so as not to stress out the dog. It was well worth the effort, and Indy would be rewarded with more than just Milk-Bones.

Indy won the Astra Award for best performance in a horror or thriller, besting phenomenal talent like Alison Brie for "Together," Sally Hawkins for "Bring Her Back," and Ethan Hawke for "Black Phone 2." This makes Indy the first animal ever to win a major acting award intended for humans. Not too bad considering Indy has no idea he's the star of one of 2025's best horror films.

What's next for Indy? That remains to be seen, but Leonberg is open to another animal-centric project down the line, revealing in a Reddit AMA: "I'm very excited for my next film to have human actors (who can read a script and won't wander off set to chase squirrels) but I do think I'll return to animal storytelling at some point in the future." If nothing else, Indy should definitely have a cameo in his next movie.