When I first went to San Diego Comic Con to see Buddy, I honestly had no expectations.
I knew very little about the movie and was mostly curious to see what it was trying to do. By the time the credits rolled, I was sitting there thinking I had just watched one of the best horror movies I had seen in a while.
Buddy starts out like a few episodes of a children’s television show that takes place in 1999. The setup is intentionally bright, colorful, and almost aggressively wholesome. The story follows a group of children who play, learn, and grow together through adventures with a colorful cast led by Buddy, a gigantic talking orange unicorn. At first, there is something strangely charming about the whole thing. It feels like the kind of kids show that could have existed for years, complete with its own strange rules and larger than life host.
Then one of the children refuses to play along with the games. That is where Buddy starts pulling apart the world it has created and I must say, the way he reappears in certain scenes is very unsettling!
Buddy’s true nature begins to show, and suddenly the colorful environment feels much more sinister. The children realize that the show they thought was a place to have fun is actually a prison, and they have to figure out how to escape before Buddy turns his wrath on them too.
Buddy also gives us Grace, played by Cristin Milioti, who becomes an important part of the children’s attempt to escape. Grace develops a particularly close bond with one of the kids, giving the story an emotional connection that helps ground all of the increasingly bizarre horror surrounding them. Milioti brings a warmth to the role that makes the relationship feel genuine, which makes her involvement in the children’s escape that much more meaningful.
There is also an interesting layer to Grace’s connection to Buddy. His presence has already affected her before she ever enters the world of the show and even has her own family wondering about her mental health. It really adds dimension to the character and suggesting that Buddy’s influence extends beyond the colorful world the children are trapped inside. That makes Grace’s involvement feel like something that has been building long before she arrives to help them.
That transition is one of the movie’s biggest strengths. The film takes its time establishing the world and letting you understand why the kids might actually enjoy being there before revealing what is underneath all of it. Once the kids begin trying to escape the show, the movie becomes much more intense, and the contrast between the cheerful aesthetic and the horror makes the darker moments hit harder. Especially towards the climax when you learn more about how Buddy is operated.
The casting is also really strong. The young actors give the story enough personality that you actually care about what happens to them, while Milioti gives Grace an emotional center that keeps the story from becoming purely about escaping one terrifying situation after another.
I also want to point out that this movie should not be lumped in with Hulu’s The Crocket. There are obvious similarities in the idea of taking something designed for children and turning it into horror, but Buddy has its own identity and approach. The movie is more interested in exploring the world of the show and the psychological horror of being trapped inside something that is supposed to be safe.
My only criticism is that Buddy is a little too long. There are moments where I could feel the runtime, especially as the movie continues building toward its conclusion. At the same time, I understand why the filmmakers made that choice. The extra time allows the story to develop instead of rushing from one kill to the next.
That is ultimately what made Buddy work for me. It cares about its characters and its premise before getting to the blood. And after walking into that San Diego Comic Con screening with no expectations, I walked out genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
