‘Good Boy’ Review – A Twisted Thriller With A Hint Of Romance And Voyeurism [FrightFest 2023]

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Good Boy, the latest movie by writer/director Viljar Bøe (Til Freddy), is filled with many strange twists and plot turns that will undoubtedly surprise you. That is because the film is a mix-and-match of different genres, many of which work very well, and the storyline centres on a multimillionaire with an adult man as his dog. It’s not puppy play or a kinky fetish, so what is it then? It goes much further than that, and this creative Norwegian movie isn’t afraid to go to dark places you won’t expect.

How can a movie go so dark when it starts relatively light? After you get over the ‘Hannibal meets American Psycho’ routine of Christian (Gard Løkke), he seems just like any shy man looking for love. After matching on Tinder with student Sigrid (Katrine Lovise Øpstad Fredriksen), it doesn’t take long before they meet for the first time. It seems that they made the right decision, as they hit it off instantly. While Christian doesn’t share much about himself, Sigrid seems to like him as she agrees to go to his place late at night. So far, this feature sounds more like a slow-paced indie rom-com, but things change drastically when Sigrid is introduced to Frank, Christian’s dog.

Frank (Nicolai Narvesen Lied) is not your typical dog. It’s a man in a dog costume who wants and needs to be treated as a real-life dog. It’s not puppy play, no furry, and there’s no sexual act involved. It seems that life is just better when being a dog. Less worries, more play time, and you’re fed whenever you want to. While this dark secret shocks Sigrid, she hesitantly puts herself over it and starts to date Christian properly. Whether or not it’s for his charms or extreme wealth, it doesn’t seem to matter. When he asks her to spend a relaxing time in his cabin – or what could easily be a second home – they’re off for a romantic weekend with Frank by their side. However, once arrived at the cabin, the whimsical romance is replaced by psychological horror.

From that moment on, Bøe starts to mess with your head. Frank behaving like a dog seems strange, but stranger things will happen. While the tonal shift in the perfect score by Isak Wingsternes (Rede) and Martin Smoge (Together Alone) tries to prepare you for a much darker movie, nothing can prepare you fully for what comes next. Christian might not be who he says he is, and does Sigrid really love him? Good Boy is one of those ‘the less you know, the better’ movies. What you should know, though, is that this feature is about so much more than just coming to terms with someone’s peculiar quirk. It’s about powerplay, coercively controlling disturbing relationships, the shifting dynamic between partners (and the owner and his pet) and the consequences of one partner being narcissistic and rich and the other submissive and from a lower class.

Because of those intriguing topics – there’s even a hint of voyeurism – Good Boy could have been a bit darker and mind-twisting sooner. Only the last twenty minutes will make a lasting impact on you. That being said, this movie could have also easily been silly or too comedic because of the storyline, but luckily for us, Bøe and his cast and crew find the perfect balance. There’s some room for romance, but there are also some scenes that are a hard, disturbing watch. The constant presence of a man in a dog costume lurking, barking and panting adds a certain uneasiness to this movie, and thanks to Lied’s incredibly physical performance, this feature is more unsettling than it is silly. Lied’s acting is matched by the fascinating, dark performance of Løkke (Troll) and Fredriksen’s more emotional and genuine one.

Good Boy is about so much more than BDSM fantasy or puppy play. It’s a sharp, creative thriller about shifting power dynamics and people not being what they seem to be. The movie is hard to shake off because of the unusual premise and great acting, and Bøe proves that he’s a filmmaker we need to keep an eye on.

Good Boy had its UK premiere during FrightFest 2023 and will be available in the UK on Digital Platforms from the 11th of September courtesy of Blue Finch Film Releasing. Saban Films will release Good Boy in select US theatres and On-Demand on the 8th of September.

Director: Viljar Bøe

Writer: Viljar Bøe

Rated: R

Runtime: 76m

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yH5nSuShWoY%3Fsi%3DPM4PNTopvOVp-XdC