Indy the Dog Becomes First Animal to Win Best Actor at Astra Film Awards
Awards shows rarely leave room for surprises. Most wins feel predictable long before the envelope is opened. However, one moment at this year’s Astra Film Awards broke that pattern.
A dog named Indy won Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller for his role in Good Boy. The award was not framed as a novelty. Indy outperformed established actors such as Ethan Hawke, Alison Brie, Sophie Thatcher, Sally Hawkins, and Alfie Williams. In doing so, he became the first animal to receive a major acting honor.
Why This Movie Stood Out
The story unfolds almost entirely through Indy’s point of view as he tries to protect his owner, Todd, who suffers from chronic lung disease and begins to experience disturbing supernatural events inside his late grandfather’s rural home. The camera is low, the pacing is intimate, and the tension builds through behavior rather than exposition.
That structure puts most of the responsibility on the dog in nearly every scene. Indy holds attention through small, natural actions like where he looks, when he pauses, or how he moves through a room. The film avoids fast cuts and jump scares. Instead, tension comes from noticing how a dog responds when something in the environment does not seem right.
How the Performance Came Together
Image via Getty Images/Chalabala
Director Ben Leonberg spent roughly three years filming Good Boy, working around Indy’s natural limits. Shooting days stayed short, scenes relied on carefully placed treats, and camera angles did much of the storytelling heavy lifting. Leonberg and his wife, Kari Fischer, even served as body doubles during production so Indy could stay comfortable while scenes were later voiced by actors.
This process was important because it shows the performance was built intentionally, not stitched together in editing. Every reaction had to be captured in real time. The patience involved gave the final result a grounded quality that audiences could feel, which helped the performance land as believable rather than gimmicky.
A Milestone With Wider Meaning
Animals have played unforgettable roles in film for decades, especially in horror, yet awards recognition always stopped at trainers or visual effects. Indy’s Astra win broke that pattern, acknowledging that performance can exist without spoken lines and that screen presence is not limited to human expression.
Good Boy is now streaming on Shudder, where new viewers continue to discover why the performance was so impactful. The award has already changed how people talk about the film, turning it into a reference point for discussions about acting, storytelling, and perspective.