Shudder's Haunted House Horror Film Gets VOD Release

Good Boy has set a VOD release. Shudder’s new horror movie takes place in a haunted house and is told from the perspective of a dog. It was released in theaters on October 13 and, on a modest $750,000 budget, made $7 million at the box office, becoming Shudder’s second-highest-grossing movie ever behind Late Night with the Devil ($16.8M).

Now, Good Boy is set for a VOD release on October 23 at 9:00 p.m. PDT, including on Prime Video and other major platforms, where it is currently available for pre-order for $19.99. However, Good Boy will eventually be available for streaming on Shudder and AMC+.

Directed by Ben Leonberg in his feature debut, who co-wrote the script with Alex Cannon, Good Boy follows a loyal dog who moves to a secluded countryside home with his owner, where he soon discovers sinister supernatural forces at play, and as they threaten his beloved human, the courageous canine must defend them at all costs.

The cast is made up of relatively unknown actors, including Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden, Stuart Rudin, and director Ben Leonberg’s real-life dog, Indy, in the titular role.

Premiered at South by Southwest in March 2025, Good Boy received rave reviews from critics calling it a visually stunning and emotionally shattering horror film that breaks away from traditional genre tropes, offering a haunting and boldly imaginative experience. It currently has an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In ScreenRant‘s Good Boy review, Graeme Guttman writes, “I was impressed by this uniquely comforting haunted house horror where the dog becomes the main character… Good Boy, about a dog protecting its owner from ghosts only he can see, is a fun genre exercise that stretches its premise to its logical limits.”

Once it was released in theaters, Good Boy became Shudder’s second-highest-grossing movie at the box office, surpassing recent releases like In a Violent Nature ($4.6M) and Oddity ($1.9M), both released in 2024.

After attracting much viral attention online for its unique premise, Good Boy should continue its success on VOD and eventually on streaming.