Good Boy Stephen Graham is a dark psychological thriller released in UK and Irish cinemas on March 20, 2026. Directed by Oscar-nominated Polish filmmaker Jan Komasa, the film stars Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough as a married couple who kidnap a violent teenager and subject him to a disturbing rehabilitation programme. The movie has earned strong critical praise, holding an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What Is Good Boy About?
The story follows Tommy, a volatile 19-year-old who lives a life of drugs, parties, and violence in Yorkshire, England . After a drug-fuelled night out with friends, Tommy becomes separated from the group and is abducted by an unknown figure . He wakes to find himself chained in the basement of an isolated suburban home belonging to Chris and his wife Kathryn .
The couple, along with their young son Jonathan, subject Tommy to a relentless programme designed to reform his behaviour . Their methods include classical music, books, anger management lessons, and forced viewing of Tommy’s own violent viral videos, a technique reminiscent of the Ludovico technique from Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange . What initially appears to be a misguided attempt at rehabilitation gradually reveals a far darker and more ambiguous reality .
Who Stars in the Film?
Stephen Graham leads the cast as Chris, a seemingly mild-mannered family man whose intentions are far from benevolent. Graham is known for his work in Adolescence, Boiling Point, and This Is England . Critics have described his performance as “commanding” and noted that he “steals the show” .
Andrea Riseborough, an Oscar nominee for To Leslie, plays Kathryn, Chris’s neurotic and deeply unhappy wife . Anson Boon, who appeared in MobLand and Pistol, delivers a breakout performance as Tommy . Boon won the Best Actor award at the Rome Film Festival for this role .
Kit Rakusen plays Jonathan, the couple’s twelve-year-old son, described as perpetually smiling and nicknamed “Sunshine” . The cast also includes Monika Frajczyk as Rina, a Macedonian housekeeper who becomes unwittingly entangled in the family’s secrets .
Who Directed Good Boy?
Jan Komasa directed the film, marking his first English-language feature . Komasa previously earned an Academy Award nomination for Corpus Christi in 2020 . His other credits include Suicide Room and Anniversary .
The screenplay was written by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid . The film was originally written in Polish and set in the world of Warsaw football hooligans before being adapted to an English setting . Jerzy Skolimowski, the legendary Polish filmmaker behind EO, served as a producer and was instrumental in getting the project made .Stephen Graham Quick Bio
Notes: Graham won his first BAFTA Television Award in 2026 for Adolescence after eight nominations . He was appointed OBE in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to drama .
What Are Critics Saying?
Critical reception for Good Boy has been largely positive. Digital Spy called it “unlike any thriller you’ve seen this year,” praising the “terrific performances from British acting royalty Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough” . The Guardian noted that “Graham and Riseborough execute the bland nastiness expertly” .
Screen International described the film as “a deeply compelling, deliberately odd, carefully calibrated neo-gothic fable” . The Wrap singled out the acting, stating that the film is “doggone exceptional when it comes to the powerhouse acting abilities of Graham and Boon” . Deadline declared that “Stephen Graham steals the show in Jan Komasa’s creepily funny kidnap horror” .
Some reviews were more mixed. Collider felt the film “keeps its cards firmly close to its chest for the majority of the movie, only for the finale to reveal that they kept them hidden because it never had a particularly strong hand” . Little White Lies found the film “lacklustre” according to earlier search results.
When and Where Was It Released?
Good Boy had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, where it screened in the prestigious Centrepiece section . It also screened at the BFI London Film Festival, where both screenings sold out . The film was released in UK and Irish cinemas on March 20, 2026 .
The film became available digitally on May 4, 2026, followed by a DVD and Blu-ray release on June 1, 2026 through Signature Entertainment . In the United States, Magnolia Pictures acquired distribution rights, where the film is titled Heel .
Why the Title Changed in America
The film’s title was changed to Heel in the United States due to a conflict with another film. An American horror film also titled Good Boy, directed by Ben Leonberg, was released in 2025 and tells the story of a dog who sees supernatural forces in his owner’s home . According to Komasa, “The American distributor decided to change the title of our film to Heel,” referring to the dog command . The original title was retained in the UK and Ireland .
A Genre-Blending Experience
Komasa has described Good Boy as a “thought-provoking mix of genres,” blending elements of captivity thriller, black comedy, and gothic drama . The director noted that the film allowed him to explore new territory, saying, “With everything I’ve done, I have never been in the area of the absurd” .
Stephen Graham praised Komasa’s unique approach, telling Dazed, “I was blown away by Corpus Christi. I was looking forward to marrying that sensibility of British naturalism and socially relevant drama with that twist of European cinema” . Graham also described Komasa’s directing style with characteristic enthusiasm, calling him “fucking mental” but “absolutely brilliant” .
The film’s producers include Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor), Ewa Piaskowska (Essential Killing), and Jerzy Skolimowski . It was produced by Skopia Film (Poland) and Recorded Picture Company (UK), with international sales handled by HanWay Films .
Final Thoughts
Good Boy represents a bold and unsettling entry in the psychological thriller genre, anchored by powerhouse performances from Stephen Graham and Anson Boon. With its 87% Rotten Tomatoes score, its Toronto and London film festival premieres, and its Rome Film Festival Best Actor win for Boon, the film has established itself as one of the more distinctive and talked-about releases of 2026. For viewers seeking a thriller that refuses easy answers and lingers long after the credits roll, this film delivers exactly that.
What is The Good Boy starring Stephen Graham about?
The film follows Tommy, a volatile 19-year-old criminal who is abducted after a drug-fuelled night out . He wakes chained in the basement of a remote Yorkshire house, held by a seemingly mild-mannered man named Chris and his wife Kathryn, who subject him to a deranged rehabilitation programme .
Where can I watch The Good Boy in the UK?
The Good Boy is available to stream on Prime Video in the UK . It was also released digitally to buy or rent from outlets like Amazon and Apple from May 4, 2026 . The film had its UK cinema release on March 20, 2026 .
Why is the film called Heel in the US?
The title was changed to Heel for American audiences to avoid confusion with a separate 2025 horror film also titled Good Boy, which tells a ghost story from a dog’s perspective . The original title was retained in the UK and Ireland .
What is the ending of The Good Boy about?
After Tommy escapes and is found by police, he abducts his ex-girlfriend Gabbie and drives her to Chris and Kathryn’s house, believing she needs the same rehabilitation he received . The film leaves ambiguous the identity of Charlie, a character referenced throughout who may have been the couple’s deceased son .
