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Does the dog die in Good Boy? What to know as IFC horror film gets full wide release
Good Boy tells the story of a dog that moves into a rural home, and becomes aware of supernatural forces threatening his owner.
Good Boy is now headed for a full wide release, instead of the earlier limited theatrical run Independent Film Company (IFC) had planned for the Ben Leonberg-directed project, IndieWire reported.
The 72-minute horror movie, which was a hit at the SXSW film festival, tells the story of a dog that moves into a rural home, and becomes aware of supernatural forces threatening his owner. The director's real-life canine friend – Indy – a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever stars as the main character.
The movie's trailer debuted on August 13, and since then it has racked up one million views, the publication noted. While IFC did not specify the number of screens the movie would now be released to, they are bullish on the mass appeal, since the numbers seem to show they have a genuine hit on their hands. Meanwhile, amid the popularity of the trailer of Good Boy, many people have been wondering if the dog dies.
Spoilers ahead for Good Boy!
Does the dog die in Good Boy?
After the trailer dropped, there was a spike in searches about whether the dog dies in Good Boy. Discussing Film noted on X that searches had spiked 2000 percent since the trailer dropped.
Google Trends also showed a spike in searches.
A post by Discussing Film on X did little to abate fears, when they said Good Boy has been named “one of the most heartbreaking horror films of 2025.” One person replied to this, saying "what do you mean "heartbreaking" DOES THE DOG DIE? I CAN'T SEE A GOOD BOY SUFFERING, WHAT DO YOU MEAN HEARTBREAKING."
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In fact, dog deaths in movies is a touchy point for many viewers, and there is a dedicated site called Does the Dog Die, which is a crowd-sourced information platform to tell prospective viewers if a canine dies in a particular movie or television series, though their overall library includes many other forms of media like anime, books, and more.
Obviously, people have discussed Good Boy on this site, and those who have caught the movie at the film festival offered an insight into whether the dog dies.
Again, spoilers ahead for Good Boy ending!!
On the Does the Dog Die site, two people confirm that Indy does live. However, one viewer warns of a ghost dog's skeleton being seen in Good Boy. Both Bloody Disgusting and Mashable also confirmed that the dog survives the events of Good Boy.
The movie is slated for release on October 3.
