Buddy

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Buddy

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1h 35m

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Popcornmeter

89%

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123 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Verified Ratings

Remember BUDDY--the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic children's 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.

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Critics Consensus

Buddy weaponizes the cheery conventions of children's entertainment into an inventive, hilarious, and creepy descent into pop culture madness.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

5d

Enjoyably weird to the end, its horror soul in line with the creepypasta ethos of something undefined yet eternal.

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Perri Nemiroff

Perri Nemiroff (YouTube)

6d

4/5

I really love everything about how this movie was made and how practical and handmade the entire thing feels. I think it aligns with the whole concept, this being a Barney-like show.

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Tomris Laffly

RogerEbert.com

Aug 28

3.5/4

It’s a trippy, ballsy, and genuinely entertaining package that shouldn’t work at all. But it does, and I can’t believe it exists.

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Morris Yang

In Review Online

2d

Gleeful is the hand that satirizes... the cloying grotesqueries of children’s television [and] their candy-colored jubilation, and it is this realization that informs and invigorates Casper Kelly’s mean-streaked feature debut.

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Korey Coleman

Double Toasted

2d

The way the actor in the big orange Buddy costume conveys being mentally unstable and having anger issues is amazing. The film really commits to the kids' show format and nails the attention to detail.

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Courtney Howard

Fresh Fiction

2d

3.5 out of 5

Buddy is a subversive middle finger to the generations that didn’t adequately prepare millennials and Gen Z for adulthood. ‘90s kids will feel seen, heard and – possibly – scared.

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Michael R

1h

Picture a very Barney-like children’s show where the children have no idea how they got there or memories of anything but being there, and where the Barney-like character starts killing the uncooperative characters and you have “Buddy”. Very clever and original and despite the homicides not particularly gory, this is a work of pure imagination. Many kudos to Casper King who directed (his feature debut) and co-wrote and who should be standing alongside the creators of “Backrooms” and “Obsession” in the hierarchy of new creators but who is being overlooked due to the poor distribution for the film. He and the film deserve better.

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Parker

1h

They did a great job making it fun and disturbing at the same time!

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Anik

1h

great premise but deserved a better ending especially for cristin milioti

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Mike

2h

This was batshit insane the whole way through, and I absolutely loved every second. This is how mascot horror should be. I love you, Buddy!

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liberty

3h

great movie. very original and hysterical. not for kids folks

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Rebecca

3h

Loved it. Very original.

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Buddy: Teaser - The Best Movie in the World!

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Buddy: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

Remember BUDDY--the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic children's 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.

Director: Chris 'Casper' Kelly
Producer: Tyler Davidson, Drew Sykes, Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Tracy Rosenblum
Screenwriter: Chris 'Casper' Kelly, Jamie King
Distributor: Roadside Attractions / Saban Films
Production Co: BoulderLight Pictures, Low Spark Films, Sipur Studios, Substance
Rating: R (Bloody Violence|Some Drug Content|Language)
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 28, 2026, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.5M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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