Casper Kelly (the mind behind the Adult Swim short Too Many Cooks) and co-writer Jamie King drop you into the colorful, sing-along world of It’s Buddy!, a Barney-meets-Pee-wee’s Playhouse program hosted by a bright-orange unicorn voiced with perfect nasal cheer by Keegan-Michael Key. The production design, songs, talking furniture, and forced positivity are spot-on period recreations that start as affectionate parody and slowly curdle. When one kid refuses to play along, the facade cracks and Buddy’s sunny lessons about bravery and sharing take a very dark turn. Cristin Milioti grounds the real-world side as a mother sensing something is missing, while young Delaney Quinn gives the story a genuine emotional core as the child who starts questioning the “perfect” world.
The film is inventive and often very funny. Key’s performance is the standout—he sells both the cloying mascot and the petulant, violent tyrant underneath. The movie understands that the most unsettling thing isn’t just gore; it’s the relentless cheerfulness colliding with horror. At 95 minutes it mostly knows when to get in and get out, and fans of Kelly’s warped style will eat up the escalating absurdity and creepypasta energy.
Warnings
- This is not a family movie. It is rated R for bloody violence, language, and some drug content—all involving children. The deaths are graphic and the victims include kids. The aesthetic is children’s television; the content is slasher horror. Do not take children.
- The violence and the weaponization of childhood innocence can be genuinely disturbing, especially if you grew up with Barney & Friends or similar shows. Some viewers find the tonal shifts and certain sequences linger in an unpleasant way.
- A few critics noted the central joke occasionally stretches thin and the plot has some logical gaps. If you need tight storytelling more than vibe and satire, it may feel uneven.
- Expect jump scares mixed with dark comedy, plus themes of control, denial, and the dark side of forced positivity.
If you like twisted nostalgia, absurdist horror-comedy, and watching a beloved format get gleefully corrupted, Buddy delivers a memorable, original ride. Just go in knowing exactly what kind of “playtime” you’re signing up for. The movie is a critique of the hold television has on children. I watched it with my nephew. We enjoyed the shocks and thrills.
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