In a unique turn of events, it is being found that one of this year’s most beloved horror protagonists is portrayed by a furry friend. Indy the dog is being praised for his performance in the supernatural horror film Good Boy, written and directed by Ben Leonberg. The film follows Indy the dog and his owner Todd (Shane Jensen) as they move into their new home, only to be quickly plagued by spirits that only Indy can see.

Leonberg shared how he managed to pull such an inspiring horror performance out of the canine in the limited amount of time they had each day on set.

“He can only film for a very small number of hours a day. So the film’s going to have to stretch over a much longer period than a normal film would,” Leonberg shared with Dread Central. “We’re only filming one to three hours a day. We did it over three years, over 400 days,”

The director also shared how audiences also have an impact on how Indy’s performance is delivered.

“Through the power of filmmaking and cinematic shot progression, you can show his point of view. We return to the objective shot of him, of his face, there’s a blank expression in reality, but the audience say, “That dog is scared,” even though he’s not; you’re scared. You’re just projecting your own feelings onto him.”

Shudder’s Good Boy currently sits at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been making waves online due to its unique spin on the genre. After Google searches spiked 2000% questioning if Indy the dog survives the film, Leonberg personally confirmed that the titular good boy does make it to the end credits.

Good Boy is now playing in theaters.