Grieving his dog of 12 years, a man forced himself to watch a horror movie about a loyal pet for closure — and it hit him far deeper than he expected

After his dog passed, he struggled with the feeling that he had not done enough to help him.

PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO

(L ) A leash next to a portrait of a dog ; (R) A man crying while watching a sad movie (Representative Cover Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Claudia Luna ; (R) mladenbalinovac)

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of pet loss that some readers may find distressing.

When a man decided to watch the critically acclaimed horror film Good Boy, it helped him grieve his dog, who had passed away a couple of days after the 2025 movie was released. Sharing the poignant tale about his personal loss on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, the dog owner opened up about the movie's role in helping him find the closure he had been looking for, and Philip Sledge's story resonates with every pet owner. He was looking forward to watching the film when his dog of 12 years, Hank, passed away. However, the film's core message helped him move past the tragedy.

Broken with grief female dog grieving owner holding the lovely pet collar and deep weeping about animal loss.(Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Solovyova) — Broken with grief female dog grieving owner holding the lovely pet collar.(Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Solovyova)

Sledge, a writer, poured his heartfelt thoughts about how the film Good Boy helped him grieve in the Cinema Blend's latest column. Ever since the horror film was announced, it had been on his watch list. Unfortunately, he was struck with a heartbreaking tragedy when his dog of 12 years was put down to rest. Grieving the loss of his canine buddy, Sledge was not in a position to enjoy a film. However, when Good Boy began streaming on Shudder, he decided to give it a try. "Though my pain and sorrow are still immense, watching this inventive horror movie ended up helping me start the next stage of the grieving process," Sledge wrote.

Man and dog enjoying a heartfelt moment surrounded by nature during a vibrant sunset. Stock photo Getty Imags | Photo by Nikola Milosevic

The film premised on a loyal dog was a reflection of Sledge's heartache. Directed by Ben Leonberg, it explores the bond between a dog and his owner. The dog tries to save his beloved owner from a supernatural spirit with all his courage and determination, but ultimately, letting go becomes his only option. For Sledge, the roles were reversed. "I kept thinking about the efforts my wife and I made to save Hank and then make his final days, hours, and minutes as joyful and painless as possible," he shared.

Following the passing of his dog, Sledge had been finding it hard to cope with the thoughts of not doing enough to save Hank. However, the film's message about letting go and accepting death helped him process his grief. Amidst this powerful message, the climactic dialogue from the dog owner, Todd, left Sledge deeply moved.

A man is watching television. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by GregorBister)

When the dog owner in the movie realized that his death was near, his words to the leading hero, his canine Indy, "You're a good dog. But you can't save me. You got to stay here," stuck with Sledge as he finished the movie. "We can't carry over with our beloved family members and pets, but we can carry on," Sledge wrote as he chose to move forward with Hank's memories.

Sledge's initial reluctance to watch a movie is a common reaction among pet owners grieving a loss. The 2022 study published in PubMed revealed that pet loss can cause grief reactions that are very similar in intensity to grief for human loss. The report also outlines changes such as strong sadness, guilt, and social withdrawal when an animal companion dies, all of which were experienced by Sledge.

If you’re grieving the loss of a companion animal, please reach out to Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline at 1‑607‑218‑7457.