15 Horror Movies Like Good Boy (2025) – Animal-Led Chills and Creature Carnage

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Did you just watch the hugely enjoyable horror movie Good Boy and wonder “Where can I find more of the same?”. After all, it’s about to join Shudder’s library and it manages to present us with a horror film where the dog is the actual protagonist. Well, today, we are taking a look at 15 Horror Movies Like Good Boy Where Non-Humans Steal the Spotlight.

Good Boy is one of the few modern horror films that puts the dog front and center, turning man’s best friend into the true star of the show. But if you’re craving more movies where animals are the protagonists, the villains, or simply steal every scene they’re in, we’ve got you covered.

We have rounded up 15 movies like Good Boy. This list features proud pooches, mischievous monkeys, bolshy baboons, and feisty felines all ready and willing to stare fear right in the face. All these films place a non-human front and centre and present the horror from a completely different point of view. Without further ado, let’s take a look.

15. Shakma (1990) – IMDb Score: 5.0/10

The Star of the Show: Shakma, an experimental Baboon.

A group of medical students decide to play a live-action role-playing game in a research building at night. Unfortunately, a chemically enhanced, extremely aggressive baboon named Shakma has been accidentally let loose.

Shakma operates exactly like a Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers but with like more fur and a red bum. He stalks the corridors, bursts through doors, and holds grudges until the bitter end. While he doesn’t have “dialogue,” the way the film is shot treats him purely as a slasher villain rather than an animal. It’s a cult classic for a reason and surprisingly enjoyable.

14. Ben (1972) – IMDb Score: 5.3/10

The Star of the Show: Ben, the leader of a rat colony.

Let’s keep this list going with the sequel to Willard. This recommendation comes by way of my fiancee. We have owned a lot of rats in our time together and really love them. She’s talked about this film a ton over the past few years. While Willard was about a boy and his rats, Ben is largely about the rat himself. Side note, Roger Ebert hated this film.

Ben, the leader of a colony of killer rats, befriends a lonely young boy with a heart condition. Look, I am going to be honest here, it’s a bit cheesy. It even features a Michael Jackson ballad that is surprisingly touching, but Ben is undeniably the main character here. He organises the troops, makes strategic decisions, and protects his young human friend. It’s a creature feature with a surprising amount of heart and Ben’s actor even won a Patsy award so that’s pretty cool.

13. Man’s Best Friend (1993) – IMDb Score: 5.3/10

The Star of the Show: Max, a genetically modified Tibetan Mastiff.

When it comes to horror movies like Good Boy, anything featuring a dog is probably going to be the way to go. A genetically modified Tibetan Mastiff named Max escapes from a research facility and is taken in by an unsuspecting woman, little realising his murderous tendencies. Max is super-intelligent, can climb trees, and has acid urine (yes, really), as Lori’s boyfriend Perry is soon to find out.

This is pure 90s camp so you need to have your expectations properly aligned going in. Max is the star of the show, obviously, oscillating between being a lovable fluffball and a jealous, murderous psycho. It’s not “good” in the traditional sense, so don’t expect to be blown away but Ally Sheedy does her best. Max’s facial expressions are genuinely hilarious, too. Can you believe they didn’t even credit the dog on IMDb? Go take a look for yourself.

12. Link (1986) – IMDb Score: 5.8/10

The Star of the Show: Link, a super-intelligent Chimp (played by an Orangutan).

Another side note, here. Remember when Elisabeth Shue was the next big thing? I wonder what happened? A zoology student (Elisabeth Shue) takes a job at an isolated English estate, only to find herself trapped with a highly intelligent, cigar-smoking, tuxedo-wearing chimp named Link.

Link is a fantastic villain. He isn’t a mindless beast; he is a jealous, manipulative, and actually rather sinister character who systematically eliminates his rivals to gain his master’s affection. It’s essentially Fatal Attraction but with an ape. It’s tense, weird, and Link’s performance is genuinely unnerving. Can’t say I get behind the idea of dying an Orangutan black and dolling it up with prosthetic ears to play a chimp but this movie is still a blast.

11. Bad Moon (1996) – IMDb Score: 5.8/10

The Star of the Show: Thor, a German Shepherd.

Once again, dogs are the way to go when it comes to horror movies like Good Boy and when they are heroes, as is the case here, its even better. A family man struggles to contain the beast within after being bitten by a werewolf. But the family’s German Shepherd, Thor, figures out something is wrong long before the humans do. I’m not going to lie, German Shepherds are my favourite dogs by quite a long way. I had one growing up and owned a couple when I first moved away from home.

Thor is the absolute best boy in this movie. For large chunks of the runtime, we are watching the events play out from Thor’s perspective. He is the protagonist trying to protect his family from the monster living in their midst. If you love dogs, this is an essential watch (though it gets a bit perilous for our furry friend). Bad Moon also stars Michael Paré who is still acting in horror to this day, recently appearing in Phil Claydon’s enjoyable slasher Helloween.

10. Cocaine Bear (2023) – IMDb Score: 5.9/10

The Star of the Show: Cokey, a Black Bear that gets extremely excited when it “snows”.

You can’t talk about horror movies where animals are the stars without mentioning Cocaine Bear. So this one is supposedly inspired by a true story but you are going to want to take that with a huge grain of salt… or another white substance, I guess. A 500-pound black bear consumes a significant amount of cocaine dropped from a drug smuggler’s plane and goes on a coke-fuelled rampage in a Georgia forest.

This did actually happen but in quite a different manner. The bear literally took a huge snoot of marching powder, took a few steps, collapsed and died. This movie by Elizabeth Banks takes all of that to a massive extreme. I suppose it begs the question, is the bear a “character”? Well, she has motivation (more cocaine), she has family values (protecting her cubs), and she gets the most screen time of anyone. It’s a horror-comedy that knows exactly what it is. It’s gory, silly, and the bear is the undoubted MVP.

9. Of Unknown Origin (1983) – IMDb Score: 6.1/10

The Star of the Show: An unusually intelligent Rat.

Remember that comedy movie Mousehunt where Nathan Lane and Lee Evans chase a mischievous mouse around a massive mansion? Well, Of Unknown Origin is basically the horror movie version of that. Peter Weller (Robocop himself) plays a successful architect whose life is slowly dismantled by a hyper-intelligent rat that invades his renovated brownstone.

This isn’t just your average “man vs pest”; it is Moby Dick in a New York apartment. The rat is a distinct character, cunning, spiteful, and seemingly always one step ahead. Kind of like a scary Wile e Coyote and Roadrunner. The film treats the rat as an intellectual equal to Weller, leading to a psychological breakdown that is absolutely hilarious to watch. The “rat-perspective” shots are a lot of fun, too.

8. Monkey Shines (1988) – IMDb Score: 6.2/10

The Star of the Show: Ella, a Helper Capuchin Monkey.

Monkey themed horror movies are quite common, aren’t they? There’s a decent number in this list alone. A paralysed man is given a trained capuchin monkey named Ella to help him with his daily life. However, Ella begins to develop a telepathic link with him and acts out his darkest, most violent impulses. Kind of sounds like that Simpsons’ episode where Home gets a helper monkey, only with a horror twist. The interesting thing about this film is that it comes from one of horror’s most iconic directors.

George A. Romero directing a killer monkey movie? That’s got to be a good thing, right? Ella is a terrifyingly complex character, you know, considering the fact that she’s a monkey, not a human. She’s jealous, protective, and eventually downright malevolent. The way the film captures her expressions makes her feel like a genuine co-lead rather than just a prop. She’s constantly stealing the limelight and for good reason.

7. Good Boy – Into The Dark (2020) – IMDb Score: 6.2/10

The Star of the Show: Reuben, an emotional support dog.

Okay, don’t get confused. We aren’t talking about the 2025 smash hit that brought you here to check out this list. We are talking about the entry from Hulu’s Into the Dark anthology series that came first! On a positive note, it features its very own best boy but this one has a bit more of an inclination towards murder and mayhem.

It features Judy Greer, who adopts an emotional support dog to help with her anxiety. The only problem? The dog takes his job way too seriously and starts brutally murdering anyone who causes her stress. It’s a fun, modern riff on the genre. The dog is basically a furry serial killer with a twisted sense of loyalty. Reuben is seriously adorable and seems almost unbelievable as a potential killer. Well, that is until you realise that even dogs as small as Jack Russells have been responsible for human deaths in the past.

6. Lamb (2021) – IMDb Score: 6.3/10

The Star of the Show: Ada, a Sheep/Human Hybrid.

Does this one count, I am not sure? I mean, it’s a half person, half animal, so I guess I am skirting the lines of acceptable here. A childless couple in rural Iceland discover a strange and unnatural newborn in their sheep barn. They decide to raise her as their own, but sinister forces are at play.

Okay, so Ada is a hybrid, but she is the absolute centre of this weird and unsettling folk-horror mystery. It’s a slow burn… like, really slow, and it’s more strange than scary. But Ada is a fascinating non-human lead who drives the emotional weight of the entire film. You definitely haven’t watched anything like it before, as well, so that earns bonus points in my book. This review of Lamb from The Guardian goes someway to highlighting the strangeness.

5. The Voices (2014) – IMDb Score: 6.3/10

The Stars of the Show: Mr. Whiskers (a cat) and Bosco (a dog).

I actually had little interest in checking this one out back when it released. That was a big mistake because I ended up really enjoying The Voices. A mentally ill factory worker (Ryan Reynolds) tries to navigate life and romance, guided by the advice of his talking pets: a benevolent dog named Bosco and a foul-mouthed, Scottish sociopath of a cat named Mr. Whiskers.

While Reynolds is the human lead, the pets are the driving force of the narrative. They represent the warring sides of his psyche. Mr. Whiskers, in particular, steals the show with some of the funniest and darkest lines in the movie. This is a film that goes to some surprisingly disturbing places, as well. Check out Rotten Tomatoes for some critic reviews of The Voices.

4. Cat’s Eye (1985) – IMDb Score: 6.3/10

The Star of the Show: General, a wandering Tabby Cat.

Cat lovers, we have something for you next. This Stephen King anthology features three stories, all linked by a wandering stray tabby cat known as “The General.” In the first two segments, the cat is just an observer, but in the third segment, “The General” becomes a full-blown action hero.

He has to protect a young Drew Barrymore from a little troll that lives in her wall and steals her breath while she sleeps. The cat’s bravery makes him one of horror’s greatest non-human heroes. Cat’s Eye is a great example of movies that, perhaps, influenced Good Boy’s creature based narrative.

3. Phenomena (1985) – IMDb Score: 6.7/10

The Star of the Show: Inga, a Chimpanzee.

Dario Argento is one of Italy’s greatest directors and, in Phenomena, he takes a sidestep away from Giallo into something altogether different. This wild supernatural slasher features Jennifer Connelly engaging in telepathic communication with insects. However, the real MVP of the movie is Inga, a chimp who acts as the assistant to Donald Pleasence’s character.

Inga isn’t just a prop or a mindless monkey. She’s a fully realised character with emotions, grief, and even a vengeance arc. Without spoiling the ending, let’s just say Inga saves the day in one of the most violent and satisfying ways a primate ever has on screen. She even wields a razor blade but I’ll let you find out how for yourself. There’s some fantastic user reviews of Phenomena on IMDb to give you just a little hint of what you are in for.

2. Baxter (1989) – IMDb Score: 6.7/10

The Star of the Show: Baxter, a Bull Terrier.

This might be the movie on this list that is most similar to Good Boy’s canine focused narrative but told from an entirely more sinister perspective. A Bull Terrier named Baxter is given to an elderly woman. He narrates his own thoughts, revealing that he is a sociopath who despises humans, craves violence, and is searching for a master who shares his dark tendencies.

To be perfectly honest, Baxter is probably the ultimate non-human lead horror movie. It’s American Psycho but with a dog. Baxter’s inner monologue is chilling, philosophical, and darkly hilarious. He isn’t a “good boy”; he’s a complex, thinking, feeling, vindictive villain. It’s a wildly unique and pitch-black French comedy-horror that you absolutely have to check out. You will be kicking yourself that you somehow missed it all this time.

1. White God (Fehér isten) (2014) – IMDb Score: 6.8/10

The Star of the Show: Hagen, a Mixed-Breed Dog.

Full disclosure, White God is more of a thriller than a horror. With that being said, it’s a fantastic movie that absolutely deserves its place atop this list. After being abandoned by his owner, a mixed-breed dog named Hagen endures a series of brutal hardships before leading an army of unwanted dogs in a violent uprising against their human oppressors.

This Hungarian film is an absolute masterpiece of animal training. It’s a revenge thriller where the dogs are the stars. It’s genuinely terrifying in parts, heartbreaking in others, and Hagen gives a performance better than most human actors I’ve seen in quite a long time. It’s a tough watch, but an incredible film.

I was really reluctant to put this movie on the list. The scenes of violence are incredibly realistic and might be too much for some people. I’m happy to say, however, that the production followed strict guidelines from animal welfare organisations and was overseen by Hollywood animal trainer Teresa Ann Miller to ensure strict safety protocols were followed. The standards maintained on set were arguably higher than that of Hollywood films.

The movie also featured over 250 dogs, all adopted from shelters. 98% of them were matched up with forever homes after filming wrapped. White God isn’t only the best movie on this list, it’s the only one that actually created brighter futures for the animals involved. That’s a genuinely heartwarming fact.

Honourable Mention: Prey (2022) – IMDb Score: 7.1/10

The Star of the Show: Sarii, a Comanche Hunting Dog.

Prey might be the greatest Predator film ever, even surpassing the original in many ways. It’s follows Naru, a Commanche warrior who fights to protect her tribe against the universe’s most capable hunter.

While Sarii the dog isn’t the lead (Amber Midthunder is absolutely incredible), she is arguably the best horror “sidekick” of the last decade. She participates in fights, distracts the Predator, and has actual tactical awareness. I’m going to spoil it for you here… She survives which instantly makes it a 10/10 movie in my book.

Honourable Mention 2: Cujo (1983) – IMDb Score: 6.1/10

We have to mention Cujo, right? Everyone knows the story. A faithful Saint Bernard is bitten by a bat. After contracting rabies, he goes on a rampage that will soon lead to a horrifying ordeal for a woman and her son.

So why is this an honourable mention and not part of the list itself? Well, I always feel as though Cujo is far more of a human story than an animal one. The book is much different, presenting chapters from Cujo’s perspective. The film adaptation, however, is more of a simple creature feature so I didn’t feel like it fit with some of the other movies. It’s worth a mention, though and you can check out our Cujo review right here.

Who’s a Good Boy?

Phew, that was a tough one to put together! To be honest, horror movies where the animal is the star rather than just a mindless eating machine are surprisingly rare. It took me hours of digging just to pull these movies together. Hopefully this list has given you plenty of options to fill that Good Boy-shaped hole in your life. Whether you want the dark comedy of The Voices or the sheer, unadulterated terror of White God, there is something here for every animal lover.

I can hear you screaming at your screen already: “Richie, what about the dog from The Thing?!”. I know, I know! I tried to focus on movies where the animal drives the plot or has a distinct personality beyond just “scary monster” or “victim”. But I am sure I missed a few hidden gems. Normally, the second I step away from the keyboard one pops into my head.

If you need a break from all the barking and growling, why not check out some of our other lists? We have a great selection of funny scary movies right here if you want a laugh, or perhaps check out our cosy horror movies list if you want something a little more relaxed for the evening. If you are one of those people who likes their horror extreme, why not take a look at our list of 32 of the most disturbing horror movies ever? Thanks so much for reading and spending time at Knockout Horror.

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