Casper Kelly strikes again! After his incredible V/H/S/Halloween segment "Fun Size", and don't forget his previous [adult swim] work, he delivers Buddy, an innocent kids' television program, much like Barney, that turns violent very fast. Pulled together by an incredible cast (those kids are fantastic) and story, along with a very colorful setting, great practical effects, and plenty of laughs (in a warped way), Buddy delivers on all levels.
2026 has been very, very kind to theatrical releases (for horror), and I can only hope that it gains the same attention as other releases, such as Obsession and Backrooms.
Final thoughts: Don't change the channel!
Buddy
It's Buddy!
Rating
5.0 (2)
Release Date
8/27/2026Runtime
95 minsOverview
A magical, singing orange unicorn holds his cast hostage in a surreal TV-show dimension, as he becomes more and more demented.
How It Feels
Read from this film's synopsis, keywords and credits, and used to work out what it sits beside.
A subversive horror film that weaponizes the uncanny cheerfulness of children's television, creating mounting dread as the facade of a beloved show cracks to reveal something sinister underneath. It's a slow-burn exploration of what happens when enforced joy becomes coercive.
Mood
UnsettlingDread-soakedParanoidClaustrophobic
Themes
CorruptionComing apartIsolation
Tone
Bleak
Pacing
Slow-burn
Look
Stylized genreHigh-contrast
Structure
Single location
Heads up
Child endangerment
Cristin Milioti
Grace
Delaney Quinn
Freddy
Topher Grace
Ben
Keegan-Michael Key
Buddy the Unicorn (voice)
Michael Shannon
Charlie the Train / Willie (voice)
Patton Oswalt
Strappy (voice)
Clint Howard
George (voice)
Eric Bauza
Mr. Mailbox / Worry Well / Couchy / Trashy / Pee Flower (voice)
Sergey Zhuravsky
Buddy the Unicorn
Madison Polan
Hannah
Bryson JonSteele
Derek
Devon Hawkes Ludlow
Charlie the Train (voice)
Reviews
Two days ago, I gave Natural Born Killers two stars and said it was too weird. Today I'm giving Buddy five stars for being excessively weird. Hey, so it actually only has to make sense to me for me to do it and I don't feel like explaining it to anyone else.
Recommendations
Ranked by what each one shares with this film, with the reason on every card.
