Screened as part of NZIFF 2023

Good Boy 2022

Directed by Viljar Bøe

In this pitch-black Norwegian thriller, Sigrid thinks she's met her perfect match with the charming and handsome Christian, but there is one catch—he lives with a man who acts like his pet dog.

Norway In Norwegian with English subtitles
76 minutes Colour / DCP

Director, Screenplay

Producers

Marie Waade Grønning
,
Ane Marie Sletten
,
Karl Oskar Åsli

Music

Martin Smoge
,
Isak Wingsternes

Cast

Gard Løkke
,
Katrine Lovise Øpstad Fredriksen
,
Amalie Willoch Njaastad

Festivals

Beyond Fest, Bergen 2022

Elsewhere

Just when you think you’ve seen every aspect of nightmarish online dating encounters along comes this perverse Norwegian nugget. When Sigrid (Katrine Lovise Øpstad Fredriksen) meets too-good-to-be-true handsome wealthy bachelor Christian (Gard Løkke) for a date, she’s slightly unprepared for what awaits her back at his mansion after they hookup.

This mysterious and sexually charged thriller kicks off like a loopy foreign Fifty Shades of Grey before discarding that template and introducing Frank—Christian’s dog—a man in a weird dog costume who acts like a dog. Pressed for answers, Christian explains that Frank is a friend who suffered a breakdown of sorts and is role-playing as a dog to heal past trauma and cope with the harsh realities of normal life. Suspicious at first, Sigrid begins to open up to the idea of this hairy third-party being part of an exciting new relationship. After numerous bad dates and less than desirable hookups, this handsome millionaire with a friend dressed as a dog suddenly begins to look appealing.

When a romantic getaway to a secluded house with a stranger and his dog is suggested, it lays the precarious foundation for a weekend of weirdness that does not disappoint fans of dark visceral experiences. — Ant Timpson