Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bloody horror tale looks like kids' TV but definitely isn't.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Buddy
What's the Story?
In BUDDY, several episodes of a 1999 children's TV series, It's Buddy, play onscreen. Buddy is an orange unicorn (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) who sings and plays games and teaches lessons to four children: Josh (Luke Speakman), Wade (Caleb Williams), Oliver (Tristan Broders), and Freddy (Delaney Quinn). In one episode, the children have been invited to a dance party, but Josh doesn't feel like going. By the end of the episode, he's disappeared, and Freddy spies his book in the trash, covered in blood. In the next episode, Josh has been replaced by Hannah (Madison Skyy Polan), and menacing things continue to happen, while Buddy's behavior seems more unhinged. In the real world, Grace (Cristin Milioti), mother to two sons, starts to have strange feelings, impressions of another child that she and her husband (Topher Grace) once had, a middle child between the sons. Then Buddy appears on a TV screen and sucks her into his world. Meanwhile, the TV children escape Buddy's clubhouse and make their way through the woods to Diamond City in hopes of finding help.
Is It Any Good?
This bizarre, cheerfully brutal, quasi-funny horror movie is at its most skillful when mimicking a certain kind of retro children's programming. But despite its happy face, Buddy is unsettlingly relentless. It specifically recalls Barney & Friends and Teletubbies, as well as the talking furniture from Pee-wee's Playhouse; here, there's a trash can called "Trashy." Depending on viewers' experience with shows like these, the movie may initially feel like it has a lulling quality—the feeling that nothing really bad can go wrong. But, boy, can it. Despite the magic that seems to restore Buddy to health between episodes, there's no magic for the humans, and the show's world is unforgiving.
Which isn't to say that the movie isn't fun or intriguing as it goes along. There are plenty of surprises, especially in the weirdly artificial woods that the children travel through. It's there that they meet a Howdy-Doody-type marionette (voiced by Michael Shannon) and his partner. George (Clint Howard). Milioti is appealing and sympathetic as Grace, a mom who can't quite explain why she feels she's missing a child. But it's Key's voice performance as Buddy that sells things. One minute, he's perfectly lovable, and the next, he's terrifying. Buddy is offbeat enough that it likely won't appeal to horror fans straight across the board, but it may find a cult following among viewers who tap into its freaky energy. One thing's for sure: It is not for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Buddy's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes seem to enjoy being scared?
What's the impact of using something supposedly harmless from childhood, like costumed TV characters, to symbolize murder and violence?
What, if anything, does the movie have to say about screen time?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 28, 2026
- Cast : Keegan-Michael Key , Cristin Milioti , Delaney Quinn
- Director : Casper Kelly
- Studios : Roadside Attractions , Saban Films
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along ) , Family Stories ( Moms ) , Fantasy ( Monsters , Unicorns ) , Puppets
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : bloody violence, some drug content and language – all involving children
- Last updated : August 26, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate