What could have easily been a cheap gimmick instead provides the foundation for one of the best horror films so far this year.

But Good Boy works well enough on its own terms, managing to sustain sufficient tension throughout the course of its smartly concise 73-minute running time. The story is told entirely through Indy’s perspective, and if you ever find yourself in trouble, he’s the kind of dog you want on your side.

Good Boy drops audiences into this scary terrain, centering its haunted house story on a dedicated dog who is desperately trying to warn his human bestie about the supernatural threats closing in. Focusing on a dog in danger is a bold move.

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.