Shudder has established itself as a major force in modern horror, with Good boy highlighting exactly why they are so successful. The streaming series launched in 2015 and subsequently became one of the de facto homes for horror in the streaming age. This also includes a growing amount of original content, including documentaries and TV shows.
Their original films are also enjoying growing success, starting with early critical darlings like Blood Quantum And Scare me which has made the streamer a good home for inventive new takes on classic formats. Their 2025 slate only improved 2024’s impressive run of original horror films on Shudder, cementing it as the future of the genre.
Good Boy is the latest thrill experiment that pays off
Shudder is increasingly establishing itself as a major player in original horror with experimental versions of the genre, with the success of Good boy further consolidating its critical and commercial victories. Good boy is a well-executed cinematic experience. Basing a typical ghost story entirely from a dog’s point of view is a tricky ask for audiences.
Fortunately, the experience paid off. Good boy it’s greatskillfully using a small cast and contained setting to great effect. This leaves room for the filmmakers to emphasize the emotional core of the story, and the freedom given to the filmmakers ensured that the film could confidently have a short running time that did not risk spoiling the effect.
Good boy isn’t just a hit with horror fans. Despite the potential obstacles to selling the concept to a broad audience, Good boy earned an impressive box office for its independent releaseearning $2.4 million at the box office. This represents almost its entire budget. It also did very well with critics and audiences.
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Good boy Tomatormeter Score |
Good boy Popcorn Counter Score |
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91% |
83% |
Good boy is another strong theatrical release from Shudder and IFCfollowing the success of In a violent nature And Late night with the devil. In addition to this, Shudder has become the home of V/H/S series, and the series reached new heights with the release of the critically acclaimed film V/M/S/Halloween.
This year, the streamer also released critically acclaimed films like The ugly stepsister And Surrender. It is also about to be released Queens of the dead. All of these films are unapologetically driven by a female or LGBT+ orientation. it may seem underserved within the genre but fits perfectly into Shudder’s broad experimental approach to horror.
Beyond these successes, films like Clown in a cornfield also proved to be surprise hits before heading to Shudder. All of this shows how horror remains a profitable and creatively fertile genre, and underlines how Shudder has perfected a creative focus and reliable publishing strategy that the public adheres to.
How Shudder cornered the market on inventive horror
What makes Shudder’s recent run of success all the more impressive that’s how varied their releases have been. Shudder doesn’t just take one horror genre and double down on it. Rather, their embrace of experimentation within the genre resulted in very different films, many of which were hits.
V/M/S/Halloween these aren’t just a few new developments in the found footage subgenre; it’s a gleefully gory return to the creature effects of horror’s schlocky past. It was also released the same week as Good boya low-key, emotionally powerful film that features very few overt scares. This shows how impressive he is and Shudder’s diverse film catalog has become.
Queens of the dead is just as funny as it is frightening, while The ugly stepsister brings the undeniable body horror of a period drama to the forefront to strong effect. There is variety in their production this ensures that the streamer is not defined by a particular style or genre, but always draws on original perspectives and stories.
All of these films differ from the conventional wisdom surrounding the genre, which is to focus on established intellectual property and deliver large-scale horror that can appeal to a wide audience. Rather than conforming to typical PG-13 jump scares, Shudder’s original films all take original approaches to their subject matter, with a frequent desire to be gleefully bloody.
This flexibility speaks not only to the adaptability of the horror genre as a whole, but also to the benefit of exploring different styles of horror films. Shudder enjoyed critical success with many of their releases, and have achieved increasingly impressive box office results with their more engaging experiences.
Shudder has always been good for horror fans. However, he has become an invaluable part of the modern horror landscape, with a willingness to take a chance on difficult format films or stories with unlikely protagonists. The result is a collection of films that stand out in a perpetually crowded field.
The thrill is killing himand this trend doesn’t seem likely to stop any time soon. Shudder welcomes filmmakers from around the world while doubling down on its successes with films like the upcoming In a violent nature 2. Good boy is just the latest proof that Shudder has become a standard bearer in the world of horror.
Good boy
6/10
- Release date
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October 3, 2025
- Runtime
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73 minutes
- Director
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Ben Léonberg
- Writers
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Alex Cannon, Ben Leonberg
