My quick rating - 6.6/10. You know those relentlessly cheerful children’s television shows that make you wonder how anyone survives watching an entire episode without developing a headache? Well, imagine one of those shows developed a taste for psychological trauma, bloodshed, and making its little viewers question reality. Welcome to It’s Buddy! The show must go on, even if a few kids mysteriously disappear along the way!
We begin with some ominous sounds over a black screen before abruptly switching to obnoxiously upbeat children’s music and our title character, Buddy (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), a bright orange humanoid unicorn with a purple heart on his chest. Full-size Buddy reminds me so much of Barney, which is probably not a coincidence. For the first six minutes, you might genuinely think you’ve accidentally clicked on a children’s YouTube video. Then the cracks start showing, and suddenly that oversized, toothy smile becomes much less reassuring.
When one of the children disappears, and the others start asking questions, Buddy’s patience wears thinner than a parent’s nerves after the fifteenth repeat of a nursery rhyme. The kids do a fantastic job recreating that exaggerated enthusiasm these shows demand, especially Delaney Quinn as Freddy, who handles the transition from giddy excitement to genuine apprehension beautifully. Watching the children investigate their missing friend while still trapped inside the show’s bizarre episodic format is amusing in the most unsettling way. Even sneaking off to see Nurse Nancy becomes an adventure when your captor insists everything is sunshine, rainbows, and mandatory participation!
What makes Buddy particularly enjoyable is how little the trailer prepares you for where things eventually go. Around the half-hour mark, the colorful clubhouse chaos gives way to a more conventional suburban setting, where traumatized mother Grace (Cristin Milioti) struggles with the unsettling feeling that someone is missing. The shift works surprisingly well, and the film becomes far more creative than I initially expected. That television scene is especially effective, blending creepy visuals with some disturbing effects.
The practical effects deserve a mention. There’s something hilarious about watching a brightly colored children’s program descend into absolute carnage while maintaining the visual language of an educational singalong. The gore is present, but the film’s commitment to its ridiculous premise makes much of it darkly amusing. Even the credits seem to have a few kids looking absolutely terrified, which feels like an appropriate punchline each time they roll.
Buddy won’t be for everyone, and its rough patches occasionally interrupt the fun. However, this horror-comedy commits wholeheartedly to its own craziness, delivering a surprisingly inventive experience with genuine filmmaking chops beneath the candy-colored nightmare.
I had fun with this one. It isn't here to scare you, but it sure might entertain ya. Give me a darker, nastier, more brutal sequel, and I’ll happily bump that rating higher. LOL. Just remember, kids. Always listen to your unicorn overlord. He loves each one of you. Apparently.
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