Movie Review: ‘Buddy’

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Review by James Lindorf

Casper Kelly is best known for “Too Many Cooks,” the viral 2014 Adult Swim short that took classic television opening sequences and turned them into something unsettling through repetition and the introduction of a killer. “Buddy” applies that same sensibility to a feature-length film, while focusing on the warmth and familiarity of the “Barney & Friends” era of children’s television. Roadside Attractions brought it to theaters on August 28th where it had the studio’s top opening since Covid and second-best ever after “I Can Only Imagine.”

Inside the colorful world of “It’s Buddy!,” a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and learning life lessons from Buddy, a bright orange unicorn voiced by Keegan-Michael Key. When Freddy (Delaney Quinn) refuses to play along after a fellow cast member goes missing, cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world. Outside of the magical world, life carries on as usual for everyone except Grace (Cristin Milioti). The loving mother of two has a sense that things aren’t quite right, but she can’t define the cause. Her connection to the show grows rapidly, becoming more complicated as the film progresses, until her story intertwines with the kids’ search for safety.

The film opens at full speed inside Buddy’s world. We get the opening number introducing the main cast, and the first death within five minutes. Then, about two minutes later, Freddy catches on to the strange behavior and sets the rest of the film in motion. The same breakneck pace carries over into Grace’s story, where she is introduced, the problem is unveiled, and her chance to resolve it is introduced in the same sequence. At just 95 minutes, I would argue this is a film that should be a few minutes longer. Maybe give Grace a cold open, something of her life and the outside world, before Buddy; then, when we get to Buddy, who is behaving unusually instead of jumping straight to murdering children.

It seems clear that Kelly is more interested in jokes and absurdity, see the Clint Howard scene, than in building any sense of dread. This is a horror comedy that leans heavily into the comedic, never more evident than in a scene where Buddy transforms the mean-spirited childhood game of stop hitting yourself into stop cutting yourself. A little more balance may have made for a stronger film overall, but the jokes are good enough that it rarely matters.

Keegan-Michael Key’s voice performance is a genuine asset precisely because it does not immediately announce itself. He disappears into Buddy in a way that lets the character exist on his own terms rather than as a rejected skit from “Key & Peele.” Buddy’s silly nature and limited mobility make him an unlikely physical threat. Luckily, Kelly and co-writer Jamie King understand that the horror of a children’s show mascot gone wrong is as much psychological as it is physical. The comfort and trust children place in these figures is the real source of dread, and Kelly mines that effectively. In that same vein, Patton Oswalt and Michael Shannon also appear as characters within the show world in roles that do not immediately announce their famous voices. Calling out who is who is one of the elements that will make this an engaging experience for the audience.

Milioti is good throughout but critically underserved by the pacing. She is speed-running an emotional journey that deserves more time. Topher Grace is even more underserved as Grace’s husband, Ben, who does little beyond offering occasional skepticism and support. Eric Forman’s energy from “That ’70s Show” would have been a natural fit for the film’s humor and would have given Topher more reason to be who they cast in this role, but it went untapped.

“Buddy” is aimed squarely at children of the 1980s and 90s who found genuine comfort and joy in being taught life lessons by a magical creature and now want to see that flipped on its head. The communal recognition of twisted childhood touchstones, familiar songs, classic show structures, and the particular moral economy of educational entertainment is where the film is most alive. It is best watched with a group of friends who will yell out the references and argue about who is voicing which character. A friend group at home is genuinely the ideal viewing environment for this one.

It is unlikely that “Buddy” will find a massive audience at release. Still, it has cult-classic written all over it, much like one of my favorite films, “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil,” another horror-comedy that slowly found its devoted audience through enthusiastic group viewing. “Buddy” earns a 4 out of 5 thanks to its commitment to creativity and fun.

Genre: Horror, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): August 28th, 2026
Runtime: 1h 35m
Director: Casper Kelly
Screenwriter: Casper Kelly, Jamie King
Producer: Tyler Davidson, Drew Sykes, Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Tracy Rosenblum
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Production Co: BoulderLight Pictures, Low Spark Films