Good Boy ending explained: Horror, mortality, and a dog’s unbreakable bond

The supernatural horror film Good Boy, directed by Ben Leonberg and co-written by Alex Cannon, was released on October 3, 2025. The film features Indy (Leonberg's own Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever) as the titular dog, alongside Shane Jensen as Todd and Arielle Friedman as his sister, Vera. The plot follows Todd, who moves to his late grandfather's isolated rural home with his loyal companion, Indy, while coping with a serious, yet unknown, illness.

The narrative unfolds largely from Indy's low-to-the-ground perspective, as the dog senses a dark, skeletal entity in the house that Todd fails to notice. Good Boy largely follows Indy as he frantically attempts to protect his owner. During the conclusion, Todd succumbs to his illness, symbolized by the dark entity dragging him into the basement's vast tunnel.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about the film. Viewer's discretion advised.

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Good Boy heartbreaking ending: Todd’s tragic fate and Indy’s final act of loyalty

A still from the film's trailer (Image via YouTube/IFC Films)

The initial scenes of Good Boy show the strong relationship between Todd and his devoted dog, Indy. As he struggles with a chronic disease, Todd decides to leave the city and move to his late grandfather's remote, isolated family home in the woods, which his worried sister believes is cursed. Almost immediately upon arriving, the plot shifts its perspective to that of Indy, maintaining a low-to-the-ground, dog's-eye view for much of the plot.

The sinister paranormal presence in the house becomes clear through Indy's perspective, which Todd appears to be unaware of due to his isolation and poor health. This entity often appears as moving shadows, dark figures lurking in the corners, and an eerie, mud-soaked, skeletal being that Indy frantically tries to warn Todd about.

Soon, Todd's emotional and physical symptoms worsen simultaneously as the paranormal activity increases. In the meantime, the house's previous owner, Todd's grandfather, is revealed via old home videos to have suffered a similar fate, further suggesting a connection between the house's dark history and the man's decline.

Indy becomes increasingly distressed and attempts to protect his owner from the unseen forces by barking at empty spaces and staying resolutely by his side, even when Todd's sickness-induced anxiety causes him to lash out. During the film's final scenes, the dark entity makes its final move on Todd, bringing together the paranormal and medical realities.

A still from the film's trailer (Image via YouTube/IFC Films)

The entity drags Todd's body through the house and down into a cavernous tunnel in the basement. Indy chases after them and manages to halt the entity's movement momentarily. In a moment of lucidity, Todd realizes his fate and accepts his helplessness to escape. He looks at Indy and whispers a final command, telling his dog that he is a "good dog" but that he cannot follow him.

Then, Todd gets completely engulfed by the mud and carried away by the dark figure. The next morning, Todd's sister Vera arrives up, discovers Todd dead, and then finds Indy at the bottom of the outside basement door. The entity had even attempted to lure Indy into a doghouse that would trap him in the house. However, Indy ultimately chooses to obey Todd's final order.

He leaves the cursed property with Vera, looking back one last time as his new journey begins. Good Boy sends a strong message that the true bond between a human and a dog is one of such fierce, pure loyalty and love that a good boy will fight death itself, but will also ultimately honor his best friend's final wish to move on and survive.

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Good Boy was released in theatres on October 3, 2025. Stay tuned for more updates.