Buddy
Remember BUDDY—the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic childrens' television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room? Inside the colorful world of "It's Buddy!", a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.
Directed by Casper Kelly · Horror · 95 min · 2026
Trailer
Director
Casper Kelly
Writer
Casper Kelly, Jamie King
Studio
BoulderLight Pictures / Low Spark Films
Release
2026-08-28
Runtime
95 min
Genres
Horror
Full Plot
A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids television show.
Cast & Characters
Grace
Cristin Milioti
Freddy
Delaney Quinn
Ben
Topher Grace
Buddy the Unicorn (voice)
Keegan-Michael Key
Charlie the Train / Willie (voice)
Michael Shannon
Strappy (voice)
Patton Oswalt
Sergey Zhuravsky provides motion capture.
Dark Buddy
Johnathon Yurco
George, a deranged Howdy Doody-like cowboy puppet who had his own show alongside Willie.
Clint Howard
Josh
Luke Speakman
Nurse Nancy
Phuong Kubacki
Timothy
Seamus Flynn
Oliver
Tristan Broders
Hannah
Madison Skyy Polan
Derek
Bryson JonSteele
Mailman Miles
Bennie Taylor
Tyler
Tory Jacqui Malone
Wade
Caleb Williams
Benny
Lynette Eklund
Mailman Justin
Conner Stumm
Father
Frank Brown Jr.
Betty Bunny
Cedwan Hooks
Clocky and Mr. Mailbox
Rachel Appelbaum
Did You Know?
Cristin Milioti will star in the independent film Buddy.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Casper Kelly is set to direct and co-write the screenplay with Jamie King.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
J. D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules, and Tracy Rosenblum produce under BoulderLight Pictures.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Principal photography began on July 22, 2025, in Northeast Ohio locations.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Buddy is newly added and doesn't yet have enough aggregated ratings data to summarize.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
AI Verdict
AI-generatedToo early for a meaningful verdict — check back as ratings data comes in via the site's daily refresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Buddy's IMDb rating?+
Buddy has a 7.3/10 rating on IMDb from 102 votes.
What is Buddy's Metacritic score?+
Buddy has a Metascore of 64/100 on Metacritic.
Is Buddy good? What are critics saying?+
Buddy is newly added and doesn't yet have enough aggregated ratings data to summarize.
How long is Buddy?+
Buddy has a runtime of 95 min.
Who directed Buddy?+
Buddy was directed by Casper Kelly.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to the movie "Buddy" is mixed, with some reviewers enjoying its original take on horror and comedic elements. Others found it to be unpredictable and disturbingly effective. The trailer comments suggest that some viewers are nostalgic for classic children's shows and were surprised by the film's shift in tone from a fake family drama to something more unsettling.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
If you like puppets, practical effects, and grotesque horror that is disguised as something cutesy, then *Buddy* is a must-see. As a horror film, it’s surprising because it feels fresh and original with not only its comedic roots and psychological elements but also because it thr…
Chris Sawin · 9/10Buddy (2026) starts like a fake children's show—giving major Don't Hug Me I'm Scared and Amanda the Adventurer game vibes—before going off the rails. After showing fake Barney-style episodes, it abruptly shifts to a real-world family. The mom realizes something is wrong after her…
violetravenx · 9/10
From the trailer's comments
The commitment they have on holding back on showing footage when it comes out in a month is astounding
@AidenEmerson · 1562 likesBarney's distant cousin that he chooses not to associate with
@bluebear8741 · 506 likesI remember watching evil Barney videos as a kid and this brought me back.
@deejay5627 · 1729 likes"Forgotten show from the 90s." "Yeah but theres nothing." This reminds me a lot of Candle Cove.
@manny251000 · 895 likesThe laugh at the beginning sounded like RuPaul lol.
@MaddelynLawrence · 2561 likesgetting Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared vibes
@mathmothmath · 1200 likesReally loving this resurgence of vintage kids tv horror
@floppypoint · 618 likesSomebody is definitely getting impaled with a unicorn horn
@touseygoosey · 1028 likes
