Good Boy (2023)

I had the chance to check out Good Boy at Beyond Fest, and I was blown away! The movie has so many twists and turns I was never really sure what would happen next. The acting was great, and the whole film was well done. If you get the chance, definitely check it out!

The story revolves around Christian, a shy but charming loner, who meets Sigrid, a commitment-phobic student, on a dating app.

Sigrid and Christian hit it off immediately. They both feel a strong connection and are drawn to each other. After their first date, Christian asks Sigrid to spend the night, and she happily agrees.

Good Boy begins as a typical indie romantic comedy, with soapy dialogue and a slow-paced romance.

When Christian tells Ingrid he has a dog named Frank, she and the audience don't think much of it. But the morning she spends the night with him, they realize that Frank is an exceptional dog. The person in the dog costume is not a dog but a grown man.

This is where writer/director Viljar Boe messes with our heads.

As Ingrid gradually acclimates to the strangeness of her new surroundings, Boe's writing creates a sense that we are sharing her experience.

After the initial shock, we accepted Christian and Frank's bizarre relationship. Christian assured Ingrid that his relationship with Frank, the 'dog,' was not sexual. Instead, he functions as part of their relationship because Frank has been his friend since childhood, and Frank chooses to live like this.

I understood what Frank was going through and why he felt the need to engage in 'Puppy Play'. I accepted that he was doing it consensually and likely enjoyed it as an adult.

After getting used to the idea, I found myself caring for the non-human partner and emotionally invested in their love for each other - just as I did while watching Lars And The Real Girl.

The empathy we feel for Frank the 'dog' is eventually turned against us as a series of disturbing events unfolds for the strange trio.

The main themes of this story are coercively controlling relationships and the power struggles between partners. This can often be seen in relationships where one person is narcissistic, and the other is submissive.

Christian and Frank's disturbing relationship initially repulse Ingrid, but she changes her heart after speaking with her flatmate Aurora.

A woman's flatmate tells her that the man she is dating is a multi-millionaire and convinces her to pursue the relationship despite her concerns about his strange behavior.

We are groomed daily, whether advertisers try to get us to buy their beauty products, or our partners try to make us feel good about ourselves with gifts and compliments.

Ingrid is persuaded into beginning a possibly tricky relationship due to the appeal of a luxurious lifestyle.

Boe takes his time in building the domestic world of Christian, Frank, and Ingrid. We are given snippets of dialogue and a voyeur's perspective of the blossoming relationship between the three of them.

Our leash is pulling us into unfamiliar territory.

There is subtext in this movie relating to the ongoing issue in a society where those who are wealthy always seem to be at the top, while those who are lower in the hierarchy are constantly struggling to achieve the same level of comfort.

Boe is playing with our preconceived notions and then subverts them, ensuring we're constantly guessing what will happen next. This keeps us on our toes and ensures that we're always entertained.

I suggest going into this film knowing as little as possible.

If you want to avoid spoilers and get the full effect of this story, don't watch the trailer or read any critic reviews. The story's genius is how it exceeds your expectations while drawing you into a dark world.

This fairy tale only runs for seventy-five minutes, but it packs a punch with its shocking ending. If you're looking for a dark and twisted story, this one is worth checking out.