A stray dog stumbles upon a mysterious necklace and unknowingly puts it on. In an instant, he transforms into a human boy, struggling to understand his new life. Now, he must navigate the world in his new form while uncovering the truth behind the necklace.

‘SPOILER ALERT’

The movie begins with a frightened man, Chang, being chased by a man and a woman on a motorcycle. The leader exits his van and orders them to find him.

The leader gives Chang a persuasive speech and offers him money only if he is willing to give up the amulet.

The male motorist mistakes his partner for Chang and throws his knife toward her, mouthing an apology. The female motorist finds Chang and shoots him in the neck.

She grins in success. The leader greets Chang and tells him to finally give up the amulet. Chang takes the amulet off his neck as the leader holds out his hands expectantly.

He then drops the amulet into a giant hole filled with water. The leader screams in frustration, ordering his people once again to find his amulet. The amulet, heavy like fogged golden metal, travels its way down the cave.

It sinks into the cool embrace of the water, drifting through currents. It moves smoothly, worn down by eons of flow, and glistens like wet marble in the faint luminescence of the water. Each channel connects to another, forming an endless web of water-filled passages.

A young boy, Manny Garcia, wearing his vibrant yellow sweater, stands in front of the mirror, practicing his greeting speech. He mimics the motions of a confident speaker, adjusting his posture and voice with each repetition, raising his hand in greeting.

Manny explains to his dog, Rufus, the crucial importance of first impressions and why he has to nail this. Rufus, who is sitting composedly, whines, nods, and barks in reaction to Manny’s words. Manny tries one last pose, pointing his fingers at the mirror. Rufus covers his face.

A knock on the door reveals Manny’s dad scolding him for occupying the bathroom all morning. Manny apologizes, excusing it by saying that it is the first day of school in a new town and he has to perfect his greetings.

His dad comforts him, assuring him that it will all be fine and encouraging him to just be himself. Manny’s mother agrees with his dad’s advice, adjusting Manny’s bag and assuring him that everyone will be happy to be his friend. Rufus barks in agreement.

Manny heads out of his house, still practicing his greetings to perfection. He arrives at school in awe of all the new faces. A girl interviews him on controversial topics, asking where he stands on them.

Manny says he hasn’t formed any opinions yet since he was in Texas last week. The girl, just realizing he is a new student, introduces herself as Paige Prescott, the ace reporter for the Taft Tattler.

Manny introduces himself as the new kid. They shake hands as a welcoming gesture.  As they walk toward their class, Paige asks Manny one more question—she wants suggestions for spring dance themes.

She asks him what gets him moving, to which he replies, My dog. Satisfied with his answer, she promises to suggest it to the committee just as the bell rings.

Moving past many students, Paige gives Manny a tour of the school’s interior. Manny makes himself available for an interview anytime Paige prefers. She smiles appreciatively, affirming that he will fit right into the Taft Tattler

Manny returns the smile when, suddenly, he makes contact with a ladder, causing blue paint to fall all over him.

Students gather around, entertained, and some pull out their phones to take pictures—so much for a good first impression. Manny sighs in disappointment.

That evening, Manny’s parents decline their son’s plea to move back to Texas. They tell him that their job is now in Connecticut, belittling his experience.

Manny shows him the blue stains on his face, explaining how the whole school saw it. His mom reassures him, saying it’s only his first day and that things will get better.

Manny insists that it was embarrassing and reminds them that he has no friends here. Rufus barks as if to say, I’m your friend. Glad for the reminder, Manny and Rufus head out to the nearby park.

Dribbling the ball outside the house, Manny and Rufus play soccer on the way to the park. Manny megs the ball between Rufus’s legs before shooting it toward what seems like a pond. There, hanging on a thin wooden stick, lies the amulet.

Rufus barks persistently before jumping into the pond. Grabbing hold of the amulet between his teeth, he makes his way back to Manny.

Manny holds the amulet with curiosity. He puts it around Rufus’s neck, calling him the coolest dog in all of Connecticut. Manny massages Rufus’s shoulders, then gets up and heads home. Rufus follows closely behind his best friend.

As they get ready for bed, Rufus whines, pleading to keep the amulet on for the night. Manny assures him in agreement.

He tucks himself into his blanket, wishing Rufus a good night’s sleep. He tells Rufus that he is a good friend—and, more importantly, the only friend he has in this town.

Rufus barks in agreement. Lying on his pillow, Manny wishes that Rufus could be the kind of friend who could talk back and be there for him at school, thinking about how much better his life would be.

With that one last wish, he turns off his nightlight and drifts off to sleep. In the middle of the night, the amulet glows brightly around Rufus’s neck.

He pants excessively as the darkness of night recedes, replaced by the soft glow of morning light. Dad, acting as the alarm, yells for Manny to wake up. Manny, still with his eyes closed, obliges, asking Rufus if he is ready to start the day.

A strange young boy crouches in a dog-like position. He moves close to Manny’s face, and they both start screaming. Gasping for air, frightened, Manny asks the boy who he is.

The young boy with blond hair grins, telling him that it’s him—Rufus—and that he has always wanted to try wearing clothes, which he refers to as people’s fur.

Manny, in disbelief, continues interrogating him, demanding to know what he has done with his dog. Rufus, too excited about being human, ignores the question.

Suddenly, he feels an itch and instinctively uses his leg in an inhuman manner to scratch his head. Manny watches, utterly confused.

Still in denial, Manny refuses to believe the boy is actually Rufus. He points to the necklace, considering for a moment before asking if it’s magic.

Rufus, unfazed, simply asks for a treat. Manny remembers his wish from last night—he is starting to put the pieces together now.

He immediately reaches for the necklace, telling Rufus he needs to turn back into a dog. Unfortunately, Rufus is too excited to be a boy.

As Manny panics, his dad enters the room. Manny quickly grabs the necklace off Rufus’s neck, and just like that, Rufus magically returns to his dog form.

With a trembling fake smile, Manny hides the necklace behind his back, pretending he is up and ready. His dad orders him to stop goofing around with Rufus and get ready for school. Manny nods in agreement.

As soon as his father leaves the room, he puts the necklace back on Rufus, who excitedly announces that he is a boy again.

Rufus celebrates by wiggling his thumbs, while Manny tries to figure out his next step. Rufus pants eagerly as Manny reaches for the necklace again—he can’t risk his parents finding out.

Rufus refuses to take it off until he gets to experience pizza, play the piano, and do all the human things. Manny insists that he can’t take him to school, but Rufus doesn’t agree. Manny considers it.

Rufus suddenly panics, searching for his tail, worried about how he can show when he’s happy. He quickly realizes he can just give a thumbs-up instead.

Manny tosses him some clothes that would fit him better, but Rufus instinctively grabs them with his teeth, growling like a dog.

Manny waves his parents a fake happy goodbye and walks toward school with his new human friend, Rufus.

Along the way, Rufus stops to greet the neighbor’s dog, Larry. He bluntly tells Larry’s owner that the generic kidney and trout food he’s feeding him is giving Larry gas, then walks past them.

Rufus struggles to control himself when he spots a squirrel running by. Manny tells him to get a grip because he’s a human now.

Finally, Rufus calms down. Just as Manny thinks they’re making progress, Rufus suddenly stops in the middle of a bush—to relieve himself.

The bell rings, and Manny’s teacher stands doubtfully, staring at him as she asks if Rufus is really his cousin.

In the middle of their conversation, Rufus, who has just smelled a cat, announces it excitedly, causing the whole class to burst into laughter.

The teacher reluctantly accepts his story and orders them to sit. Rufus circles around before sitting on the floor, sending the room into more fits of laughter.

The teacher begins her lesson, while Rufus quickly fits into conversations with their classmates. However, Rufus continues to act like a dog—chasing balls, dipping his face into his food, drooling, chasing squirrels, and even performing tricks.

During class, Manny glances beside him to find Rufus’s seat empty. Moments later, Rufus is spotted bouncing up and down behind the teacher, who is holding planets for her lesson.

Meanwhile, the leader of the mysterious group drives through the streets, frustrated about the lack of progress in finding the amulet.

His team insists that only a miracle could lead them to it. At that moment, Rufus accidentally steps in front of their car. The leader zooms in on the necklace around Rufus’s neck and laughs loudly with glee.

Back at school, Manny struggles to convince Rufus to stop chasing squirrels, but Rufus isn’t exactly cooperative.

Later, Manny and Rufus enter the supermarket to buy snacks when Manny spots Paige walking into the store. Panicking, he hides behind a glass case holding kittens.

Confused by Manny’s behavior, Rufus asks what’s going on. Manny explains that Paige is a girl from his school and that he met her on his first day.

Rufus immediately assumes she’s a friend. But Manny tells him that she is not his friend but he’d like her to be. Ignoring Manny’s hesitation, Rufus boldly yells out for Paige.

Rufus introduces himself, but Paige already knows who he is—Manny’s cousin. Embarrassed, Manny reveals himself, holding a kitten and greeting Paige awkwardly.

Manny nervously asks her about the latest news, and Paige replies that page one is about the two—and they are now the most popular kids in school. Surprised but relieved, Manny turns to Rufus and affirms that he’s the best wingman ever.

The leader sits in his car, subtly hinting to his team, who are perched in a tree, that the targets are on their way.

The woman shoots an arrow into the tree, ensuring it holds tight, then hands the rope to the man. Confidently, he leaps from the tree, aiming for Manny and Rufus’s direction, but instead crashes into a truck, missing completely.

The woman sighs in frustration as Rufus sniffs the air and tells Manny he smells garbage. Later, Manny sits at his table doing homework when Rufus hands him a flyer for the dance.

Paige has followed up on Manny’s suggestion and chosen Dogs as the theme. Rufus eagerly suggests that Manny ask Paige to the dance, but Manny brushes it off with a noncommittal maybe.

Suddenly, his mom opens the door, asking for Rufus. Manny quickly replies that he hasn’t seen him. When he asks why she’s looking for him, she holds up her torn shoes, complaining that Rufus has been chewing on them again.

Once she leaves, Manny congratulates Rufus for pretending to chew on the shoes so she thinks he’s still in the room.

Rufus sarcastically responds that that was exactly his intention. Then, as an afterthought, he casually informs Manny that he also poops behind the couch.

The phone rings—it’s Paige. Manny picks up and asks what’s up. She tells him she wants to arrange an interview with the school’s most interesting new student.

Grinning, Manny promises to set it up. Paige happily thanks him and asks if he can have Rufus meet her after school tomorrow.

Manny, who assumed the interview was about him, agrees but then slouches in disappointment after hanging up. Meanwhile, Rufus, completely unbothered, indulges in a pot full of popcorn.

Rufus, excited that Paige wants to interview him, notices Manny’s grumpy face and questions why he looks upset. Meanwhile, the male henchman, once again confidently making his way toward Manny and Rufus, gets hit by a bus.

The next day, Paige thanks Rufus for agreeing to the interview. He enthusiastically responds, saying that newspapers are very important.

Surprised, Paige asks if he really believes that. Rufus nods, explaining that newspapers are essential—after all, people need them to do their business.

He reminisces about how he’s been doing his business on newspapers since he was a pup. Paige grins, delighted to finally find someone who truly gets it.

Paige starts her interview by asking Rufus how it feels to suddenly become the most popular kid in school. Rufus replies that it’s pretty weird because he’s new to being a kid—then suddenly yells, Ball.

Paige laughs out loud and asks if that’s his secret to making friends. He explains that his way of making friends is simple—he just bounces around when he sees new people, and then boom, they’re instantly friends. Paige takes notes.

She then asks her final question—if he’s taking someone to the dance—all while Manny hides behind a tree, listening to their conversation.

Meanwhile, his classmates place a biscuit on Rufus’s nose, and he flips it into his mouth with a trick. The crowd cheers. Manny glances at them from a distance, sitting alone on a bench, his lips curved downward.

As the dance begins, Rufus, as excited as a dog can be, revels in the moment. Manny congratulates him.

Rufus mentions that there’s a big surprise, to which Manny, in a low voice, mutters that the surprise is Paige before drowsily walking away, leaving Rufus by himself.

He walks into the dance floor and starts  dancing. Meanwhile, from a distance, Manny watches with a drink in hand, sipping through a straw. Rufus continues to dance at the center of the floor.

A circle of students forms around him, clapping and cheering, their voices rising with excitement at every move he makes.

One by one, the other students step onto the dance floor, matching Rufus’s enthusiasm. They laugh and cheer, mimicking his wild spins and exaggerated moves. Soon, the floor is alive with the collective energy of the students, all moving together, clapping in unison.

Rufus ends the dance with a howl.  Afterward, Rufus excitedly tells Manny how incredible the experience of being a boy has been for him.

Manny responds with a quiet, That’s awesome, but his face is filled with sadness. He bitterly mentions that his date must have appreciated Rufus’s moves, which Rufus takes as an insult.

Manny, overwhelmed, finally lets out his frustration. He explains how this whole situation has been really difficult for him, but somehow, Rufus made his life even harder.

He tells Rufus that ever since he put on that necklace, he has been a terrible friend. Rufus’s excitement fades as his ears droop and tears well up in his eyes, threatening to spill.

His lips curve into a deep frown as he whimpers softly.  He then walks out of the hall as Manny and the other students look at him from behind.

Just then, Paige taps Manny on the shoulder, greeting him. Manny, still frustrated, dismissively tells her that her date just left.

She smiles and shakes her head, telling him that her date is standing right in front of her. Confused, Manny stammers, insisting that Rufus was supposed to be her date.

Paige laughs, saying that her date is actually himself. Rufus asked her for him. Manny’s eyes widen in shock. He asked if Rufus actually did that for him.

Paige nods, confirming that Rufus told her Manny was too shy to ask her himself. It turns out he wasn’t such a bad friend after all.

The crowd suddenly erupts into cheers as Manny and Paige are called up to the stage. Still stunned, Manny assumes that Rufus must be the winner, but a kid in the crowd speaks up, revealing that this was all Rufus’s idea.

Turns out, Rufus had convinced the students to vote for Manny and Paige because he knew how much Manny liked her. The big dog hadn’t been thinking about himself—it was all a misunderstanding.

Manny, overwhelmed with emotion, takes the microphone for his winning speech. He admits that, in this moment, he doesn’t feel like a king at all—he feels like a low, dirty dog.

He thanks everyone but ultimately removes his crown. With guilt weighing heavy on his heart, he declares that after what he did to his best friend, he can’t accept the award.

Paige rushes out of the party room, calling after Manny, who is desperately calling for Rufus. She asks him what’s going on, but he insists he can’t explain it—she’d never believe him.

Just as he starts to say that Rufus is actually a dog, she cuts him off, telling him she already knows about that.

Shocked, Manny asks how she could possibly know that. Paige smirks and tells him it was her instinct—and also because Rufus already told her everything.

Relieved that he’s no longer the only one carrying this secret, he asks for her help in finding Rufus. They quickly split up to search. As Manny calls out for Rufus, he suddenly hears a howl coming from upstairs.

Meanwhile, at home, Manny’s dad asks his wife if she has walked the dog yet. She replies that she hasn’t and asks him the same, but he shakes his head, saying he hasn’t even seen Rufus.

Jokingly, he suggests that maybe Rufus is busy eating her wedding dress. She chuckles, but as they both start calling for Rufus, their amusement fades. No matter how much they call, he’s nowhere to be found.

Then, a brilliant idea strikes—his mom suddenly remembers they tagged Rufus with a GPS, even though his dad had thought it was a waste of money. She quickly pulls up the tablet and locates him—he’s at the school.

Their faces etch with urgency as they scramble into the car. Dad grips the steering wheel tightly, the engine roaring as they speed toward the school. In their rush, they crash backward into the garbage cans, but they don’t stop.

At the school, Manny sprints through the hallways, his panic growing with every second. His voice cracks with desperation as he shouts for Rufus, his throat going hoarse with every unanswered cry. Sweat trickles down his forehead despite the cool night air.

Then he hears a howl again. His heart leaps with hope. He calls out to Rufus, his voice trembling. He apologizes for being so mean earlier; his voice is softer now. But as he turns the corner, he realizes—it’s not Rufus.

It is the two men and woman who are after the amulet. The two step out of the shadows, their presence instantly setting off alarm bells in Manny’s mind.

Before he can react, two of them lunge, grabbing him with strong hands and yanking him backward. His instincts scream—they aren’t here for anything good.

Meanwhile, Paige climbs down the stairs, searching for any sign of Manny or Rufus. Just as she’s about to give up, she hears a distant yell. Then a howl. She follows the sound, heart pounding.

Rufus, trapped behind a glass window, watches helplessly as Manny struggles in the grasp of the kidnappers. Manny thrashes, yelling for them to let him go, his voice echoing through the empty hallways. His shouts for help go unheard as they drag him toward a waiting van.

Paige, catching the noise, turns a corner and nearly collides with Rufus, who urgently races down the stairs toward her. He tells her that Manny is in trouble.

They both reach the front doors just in time to see the van screech away. Rufus watches the car disappear into the night, his heart hammering in his chest.

His breath comes in jagged gasps. Desperate, he turns to Paige, his mind scrambling for answers. He asks if they are working with the squirrels, barely able to process what’s happening.

Paige replies that they don’t, grabbing the necklace from around his neck. She stares at it intensely before looking him in the eye. She then tells him the necklace is the reason why the people are after them.

With two drivers in the front seat and the same man and woman who had been chasing them straddling him on both sides, Manny panics and demands to know what they want from him. The leader grins widely and tells him they don’t want anything from him.

Meanwhile, Paige tries to make sense of everything in her head and explains her theory to Rufus. She urges him to think about it—the amulet, this magical object, must have incredible powers.

And if something has powers, someone must be looking for it. She insists that they need to find Manny fast.

Rufus, full of confidence, tells her that he can do it—but not as a human. Without hesitation, he touches the necklace and instantly transforms back into his dog form. Now, he can rely on his superior sense of smell to track down his very best friend.

With his nose low to the ground, Rufus sprints forward, sniffing furiously, catching every fleeting scent in the air. His tail stands high, his determination unwavering.

He doesn’t stop—he won’t stop—until he finds Manny. Paige, still in pure shock from witnessing the magical transformation, quickly hops onto her scooter and speeds after him.

Meanwhile, inside the van, Manny’s heart races as they drag him through unfamiliar streets. His mind spins with questions he can’t answer. When he asks where they’re taking him, the response chills him to his core.

the woman sneers and tells him they are taking him to a place his dear Rufus won’t be able to resist. At the same time, Manny’s parents race toward the school.

His dad, overwhelmed with panic, blurts out that if they don’t find Rufus, Manny will be crushed. His mom, however, yells at him to get a grip, her voice cutting through the tension.

Back on the streets, Rufus charges forward, his instincts guiding him like an invisible thread leading straight to his best friend. Paige urges him not to lose the scent, telling him she believes in him. She cheers him on, knowing he’s Manny’s only hope.

Inside the van, Manny stays firm, staring at the leader defiantly. He tells him he isn’t worried—he has faith that his best friend will find him no matter where they take him.

But the leader only smirks because that is exactly what they want. At that moment, Manny finally pieces it together. This is a trap and Manny is a bait.

Rufus finds his best friend, but Paige is smart enough to give them what they aren’t expecting. She shows up herself, pretending she is there for an interview.

In the middle of their conversation, Rufus pulls down a rope and a pile of dog food traps the men.

The remaining one along with the leader chases the dog. While this happens, Paige unties Manny.

Rufus runs between cabinets. The remaining henchman comes and confronts Paige, but Manny hooked a rope to his cloth making him pulled up.

After this, Rufus turns to human and the three reunite. Manny apologizes to his buddy and expresses his gratitude for how much he appreciates his best friend. But the three of them get captured.

The leader shoots an arrow toward Manny, but Rufus jumps in front of him, taking the arrow. Just as tears start to form, Manny realizes that the shot missed and the dog is doing just fine. They celebrate in laughter as their parents show up and call the police.

In a beautiful park on a sunny day, Paige, Manny, and Rufus go for a walk, Rufus happily playing with the soccer ball.

In the end, Manny comes to a profound realization—that whether human or animal, the bond he shares with Rufus is one of a kind, and he is grateful to have him as his true best friend.

Manny, Rufus, and Paige teach us that true friendship is built on trust, loyalty, and standing by each other no matter what. Rufus shows that being a good friend isn’t about who you are, but how much you care.

Rufus 2016.