BEST IN SHOW: Indy the Dog Takes Home the Award For Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller at the 9th Annual Astra Film Awards
Shockwaves have been sent around the film world after Indy, an 8-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever owned by filmmaker Ben Leonberg, brings home the gold for Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller at the 9th Annual Aftra Film Awards.
Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, receiving their Astra Award from home with owner Ben Leonberg
Indy starred in the film Good Boy, a 2025 elevated horror thriller told entirely from the dog's perspective. The performance was noted for not needing to use any CGI or AI assisted software for the dog. The dog's owners, Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer who also made the film, trained the dog themselves, using a series of dog treats and tricks to get the dog to perform on cue.
As adorable and uplifting as this story is (who doesn't love that face?), it has not come without a little controversy.
Many hollywood insiders and film industry people have come out against the decision to award the dog, saying that it is disrespectful and degrading to all of the human performers who were nominated in that category.
One tweet said “So stupid. The credits literally end with a little behind-the-scenes featurette showing the dog being ‘tricked’ into every (re)action captured on camera. An insult to the human nominees: Alison Brie, Ethan Hawke, Sally Hawkins, Sophie Thatcher and Alfie Williams."
Another tweet remarked "gonna need everyone to grow up and get a grip because this is just embarrassing."
This is not the dog's first award for this film. In the past few months, Indy has won several local film awards in Boston, San Diego, Seattle, and even the SXSW Howl of Fame Award for Best Canine Performance. However, many have noted that these were special awards designated for animal performers, and didn't include human actors in any of those categories.
Some have come out in support of Indy's win, tweeting, "I'm a massive fan of horror movies. Indy deserves this. He was trained by human beings to be in this movie. His humans technically won the award.”
No matter what side of the argument you fall upon, it does raise an interesting question for the future of this industry: Should our furry (or scaley, or slithery, or whatever) companions deserve recognition in this industry? If so, in what way?
THE ADVENTURES OF MILO AND OTIS (1986), starring Dudley Moore and these two fur babies
Animal rights have certainly come a long way in the history of cinema. When talking about using real animals for movies, one can hardly go without talking about the film The Adventures of Milo and Otis. For those that are unfamiliar, it is the story of a pug puppy named Otis befriending an orange tabby kitten named Milo (narrated and voiced by English actor Dudley Moore), and the many harrowing adventures they go on together. During many of the action shots of that movie, many kittens and puppies were harmed and/or killed during the filming, sparking controversy and outrage from many animal rights groups in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand where a lot of the film was shot.
For me, I have often enjoyed the performances of animals in film. The obvious one that jumps to mind is Toto in the timeless classic The Wizard of Oz (1939), played by the Cairn Terrier named Terry. That role has become just as iconic as the film itself, in many ways. One of my all-time favorite movies growing up was the 1993 remake of Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.
Abbey (primarily) or Kona, acting alongside Will Smith, playing a German Shepherd named Sam in the 2007 film I AM LEGEND
For more dramatic turns, you can look at the heartbreaking performances in films like I Am Legend (2007), War Horse (2011), and the classic Old Yeller (1957). To quote Bill Murray in the film Stripes, "Nobody cried when Old Yeller got shot? I cried my eyes out."
So, in my opinion, I think that animal actors should be recognized. At the very least, some recognition should go to the human handlers of these animals for their hard work training them and getting them to perform at such an elite level. But, do I think they should be nominated with human actors?
For that, I have to say no.
As much as I admire and praise an animal for their performance in a movie, and as much as I agree that they deserve their moment in the sun, to nominate them alongside human actors is a little bit degrading to the tireless work done by humans. I mean, I'm sure Indy's performance is amazing (I haven't seen the movie yet), but is it actually better than Sally Hawkins in Bring Her Back, or Sophie Thatcher in Companion? If I were them, I would probably be angry too. I know, as an actor myself, I would be pretty pissed off if a dog beat me at an awards show, regardless of how good their performance was. It seems almost comical.
I say, create a whole new category at the Oscars or Golden Globes designated for animal performances. Who wouldn't want to see that at these award shows? I know I certainly would.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Let me know in the comments.
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