The comedy horror film “Buddy” was a hit after it was released in theaters on Aug. 28, 2026. The film stars a group of kids who are trapped inside a “Barney & Friends” inspired TV show. Buddy, the show's lead, is a fleece orange unicorn who teaches the kids life lessons.
At first, these lessons are tame, starting with the kids learning how to be brave and clean up the playhouse. But when one kid does not want to listen to Buddy, he has no choice but to “handle” the problem. Once Buddy deals with the problem-maker, he brings in another kid to replace him.
The movie is set up to show the audience the start and end of each “It’s Buddy!” episode. By the end of the first episode, one kid is already dead. Freddy, one of the young girls, starts to catch on to Buddy’s lies and devises a plan to escape with her friends.
Buddy cannot finish an episode without the kids. They give him a hug and sing about how they love him. Once the kids become aware of his sinister intentions, they refuse to do this. This causes the short episodes to slowly disappear, frustrating him even more.
The rest of the movie focuses on the kids running from Buddy, in an attempt to escape to a magical land. He chases them with an ax, repeating how much he loves them. While this is happening, the audience is slowly able to piece together how the kids happened to be trapped in the show.
Scenes cut back and forth from the kids to a young mom in the real world. The mother constantly feels unsettled, as she constantly thinks she is missing a child. At first, the connection between the two worlds is unclear. But soon, worlds collide, and the viewers are capable of unraveling the truth about Buddy’s sinister show.
The movie overall was a decent horror movie. Those who don’t enjoy the gore typically associated with horror would appreciate this film. Most of the deaths were off-screen and had limited blood. Horror movies that only focus on gore can be a lot, so this movie was refreshing.
The plot was also written quite well. The movie at first seemed like a mediocre story, mainly focusing on the psychotic nature of Buddy. However, this was not the case. While there were a few moments where the movie faltered in creativity, the message it portrayed stuck with viewers as they left theaters.
The film delivers dark commentary about authorities that abuse power. When watching, the audience will often find itself uncomfortable as Buddy takes advantage of the children. He repeatedly demands the children's love, and when they refuse to give it to him, he lashes out.
Buddy portrays the toxic control some kids are unfortunately forced to endure by trusted adults. The film mimics abusive relationships between the abuser and the abused. Buddy attempts to downplay the hurt he has caused and convinces the others the children are lying.
There are numerous times the kids express their discomfort with Buddy to other adults. Freddy specifically attempts to explain her concerns to one of the nurses. However, the nurse dismisses her immediately, assuming there must be some type of mistake.
None of the adults seem to believe the children and choose Buddy's side. The writers of the film purposely add these moments to simulate when a perpetrator persuades others to believe them over the victim. It addresses real-world problems and sheds light on abusive power.
These moments really added to the plot and made the movie more than just scary. It gave the film meaning and had it explain important topics that don't get talked about enough. The movie had an interesting storyline, and the writers used it to communicate a message to the audience.
The film combined unsettling yet humorous writing to create a disturbing but enticing film.
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