FrightFest 2026 – Buddy ★★★

Released: TBC (FrightFest)

Director: Casper Kelly

Starring: Cristin Milioti, Keegan-Michael Key, Topher Grace

Horror movies inspired by kids’ TV shows are certainly on the rise, with the likes of 2024’s Mr. Crocket and 2019’s The Banana Splits Movie making their mark on genre fans. Perhaps one of the most hyped examples so far, Buddy is the latest film to get such treatment, premiering at FrightFest. Directed by Casper Kelly of Too Many Cooks fame, the film centres on Buddy, a bright orange unicorn and star of a classic kids’ TV show that brings joy and life lessons into the living room. A group of children spend their days singing, dancing and helping the titular unicorn spread happiness, but when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world. Pairing vibrancy and childlike wonder with brutal horror and gore, Buddy is an entertaining experience, even if its repetitive and one-note nature eventually holds it back.

Buddy begins with an extended stretch of what could easily be mistaken for episodes pulled straight from a classic children’s TV show. From the staging and colourful sets to the life lessons woven into the script, Kelly captures the programmes many of us grew up watching with surprising accuracy, somehow creating nostalgia for something entirely new. The characters are funny and endearing, the vibrant colours leap off the screen, and it’s remarkably easy to imagine Buddy existing as a legitimate kids’ programme. Just as the format begins to become familiar, however, Kelly switches things up by introducing a real-world storyline that the film consistently flits back and forth between. Here, a mother, played expertly by Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), appears to be suffering a breakdown, convinced that she and her husband once had a child they can no longer remember. Whether this has anything to do with Buddy provides another question entirely, resulting in a wonderfully strange set-up that immediately leaves you wanting answers.

It doesn’t take long for the horror to kick in, and when it does, Buddy doesn’t hold back. When the children stop playing along and instead seek some time alone, Buddy’s true colours begin to emerge — and they’re considerably darker and more murderous than his cheery exterior suggests. What follows is a string of brutal kills, buckets of blood and an increasingly dangerous central villain, with the practical effects utilised brilliantly throughout. Whether transforming Buddy himself into something altogether more gruesome or bringing the film’s nastier deaths to life, the practical approach complements the homemade charm of its children’s-TV aesthetic remarkably well. Be warned, however, that much of the violence is directed towards children, pushing the material into territory that some viewers may find difficult to stomach. Gorehounds will likely admire just how far Kelly is willing to go, with the cheesy presentation doing little to diminish the disturbing nature of what unfolds. Beneath all the bright colours and singalong smiles, Buddy has a surprisingly nasty streak.

Unfortunately, Buddy begins to show its limitations once the initial novelty wears off. There’s a great central idea at play, but the film struggles to find enough variation outside of its core gimmick, resulting in stretches that become increasingly repetitive despite the horror regularly injecting some much-needed energy. Several supporting characters encountered by the children along the way prove particularly distracting, lacking the polish and charm of the central TV segments, while much of the intended humour fails to land. At times, the relatively simple premise appears overstretched across a feature-length runtime, perhaps lending itself more naturally to the short-form format Kelly has previously excelled at. There are welcome flashes of gonzo weirdness, but Buddy never fully commits to them, leaving its most inspired idea to lose some of its magic long before the credits roll.

Buddy has a wonderfully twisted concept at its centre, brought to life through a convincing children’s-TV aesthetic, impressive practical effects and a willingness to push its gore to uncomfortable extremes. Cristin Milioti alongside on-screen husband Topher Grace (BlacKkKlansman) bring plenty to the real-world storyline, while Keegan-Michael Key’s (Wonka) enthusiastic voice performance gives Buddy exactly the larger-than-life personality the character needs. The repetitive structure and uneven humour prevent the premise from sustaining its initial magic, but there’s enough colourful carnage and inspired weirdness to make Kelly’s latest worth tuning into. It might not become your new favourite kids’ show, but you certainly won’t forget its host in a hurry.