The 2025 black comedy thriller directed by Jan Komasa shows a dysfunctional couple’s attempt to rehabilitate a 19-year-old drug addict by kidnapping him and trapping him in the basement. This film has been praised for its witty writing, but its current low IMDb rating undersells it. Here’s why.

I watched Good Boy, A.K.A. Heel by Jan Komasa (not to be confused with the 2025 supernatural horror) with mixed feelings. I didn’t know any of its actors (Yes, I have been living under a rock), nor was I aware of its premise. However, it grabbed my attention from the very start and kept me at the edge of my seat to the very end.

Although thrillers and horror are completely different genres, a thriller with horror elements that we see in unlikely places is much more powerful. For instance, a monster in a dark basement would not creep me out more than the creepy boss who is silently preying on their employees. Like so, how this movie tackled drug addiction and the way negligence could turn good human beings into insensitive monsters is perfect. For instance, when a child’s parents don’t give them enough attention, a child can turn to addiction and seek refuge.

Good Boy shows how a bizarre family takes on the responsibility of rehabilitating an addict in a humorous and unorthodox manner, even though it gets the job done. Ironically, it might be insinuating a larger picture of the governing bodies’ shortcomings in addressing the real problems in society. The plot seems to subtly indicate that if they allocate more resources towards dire social issues like addiction or maybe its root cause, already good humans tainted by mistakes could actually be saved.

The film also explores how a child’s upbringing could affect their future. Although the film’s solution to this worldwide epidemic is laughable, the writers have cleverly turned the kidnappers’ presence into something comforting while making the victim’s plight feel necessary and the outside world seem dangerously poisoned. Elaborating on this theme, the film seems to explore more about the new problems we face as a society, such as social media overconsumption, cyberbullying, drug addiction, etc. In the 70s, there was an uncontrollable surge in kidnappings and killings of hitchhikers and a booming market for serial killers, but in the 2020s, the problems are different. One might also wonder whether this new era is a colossal monster in itself, compared to a dysfunctional family that attempts to right society's wrongs. After all, not all heroes wear capes.

But it’s obvious that these issues are nuanced and need nuanced solutions as well, so everything depicted here in the film should be taken into account with its genre in mind, i.e., a black comedy thriller. Should a child be punished so harshly for puffing a cigarette by forcing them to drag a whole lot? Probably not, but should there be any consequences attached to your actions? Certainly yes.

In terms of the characters, Tommy’s character development in particular is also worth mentioning. His acting is unbelievably convincing, to the point that at the end I forgot if it was the same actor, Anson Boon.

The ending is even satisfying and cathartic. The film doesn’t rush; it takes its time and brilliantly brings the story to its climax and then comes full circle.

Good Boy needs to be rated even higher. Compared to massive, not to mention stale, Hollywood productions, these types of films, rich in their writing, acting, and directing, should be praised even more. Good Boy is truly an underdog that can inspire the future of films. 8/10.