‘GOOD BOY’ the movie is coming to Australian cinemas on the April 30, 2026.
The star is a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever dog called Indy, who won the prize for best performance in a horror, thriller movie at the ninth Astra Film Awards.
It is the first time ever an animal has been recognised in a category that has previously been reserved for human talent.
Positive comments include the films originality and emotional depth.
The story is told from the perspective of a dog about supernatural forces in a haunted-house, Indy is called a “good boy” while trying to communicate to his master that they are in danger.
Tolling refers to the dog’s high-pitched excited scream or singing (as in tolling a bell) which is unique to this breed.
It arouses and excites the ducks to move into the open water, making it easier for the shooter.
Indy the dog is owned by Ben Leonberg, an American film producer and his wife who is also a film producer.
They lived on location with Indy for three years while making the movie and used what is known as the ‘Kuleshov’ effect – a phenomenon by which viewers derive more meaning from an image, followed by another image and maybe another.
Discovered and demonstrated by the Russian film maker Lev Kuleshov in the early 1900s, the audience connects the images to create a new combined meaning.
The Kuleshov effect is a tool for manipulating an audience’s emotions and creating a narrative independent of acting performance.
Widely used to imply relationships between characters, build tension and create irony.
This film was acquired by Shudder – a premium streaming service specialising in horror and thriller content, it is also available on digital platforms such as Apple TV store and Amazon prime video store.
Indy was not formally trained, instead Ben and his wife utilised their close relationship with their dog and relied on his basic obedience training to capture his natural, and sometimes accidental behaviours or performances over the three years.
Because this dog breed is intelligent, high energy and loves his food treats, it was easy to train Indy for specific behaviours.
