Movie Review: BUDDY

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN / Staff Writer

Posted: August 28th, 2026 / 03:00 AM

BUDDY movie poster | ©2026 Roadside Attractions/SabanFilms

Rating: R
Stars: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Keegan-Michael Key (voice), Sergey Zhuravsky (suit), Topher Grace, Tristan Borders, Madison Skyy Polan, Caleb “CJ” Williams, Luke Speakman, Patton Oswalt (voice), Clint Howard, Michael Shannon (voice), Jimmica Collins (voice), Cedwan Hooks (suit), Seamus Flynn, Bryson Jonsteele
Writers: Casper Kelly & Jamie King
Director: Casper Kelly
Distributor: Roadside Attractions/Saban Films
Release Date: August 28, 2026

In the best possible way, BUDDY looks like it was made by people who had serious nightmares after watching BARNEY & FRIENDS. For those who missed it, that’s the show (that ran for fourteen seasons) for young children with a plush purple dinosaur (a suit performer) and his pals, some other dino suit performers and some actual kids.

Valuable lessons are taught and Barney keeps singing, “I love you, you love me …” If you’re not the target age, and maybe even if you are, that’s legitimately creepy.

BUDDY drops us into the TV episode world of its title character, a toy stuffed unicorn who comes to full-sized life (Keegan-Michael Key is the voice, Sergey Zhuravsky is the suit performer) whenever anyone says his name.

Buddy lives in a playland that looks pretty much like the playland for live-action children’s programming everywhere. He has four young (under-10) human friends, plus Betty Bunny (voiced by Jimmica Collins, Cedwan Hooks in the suit), and some anthropomorphic talking furniture like the couch and the mailbox, plus other items, like the talking backpack, Strappy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), of little girl Freddy (Delaney Quinn).

The children adore Buddy, and he seems to love them right back. However, when Buddy thinks that little Josh (Luke Speakman) doesn’t want to come to the dance party because he’s afraid he can’t dance and that this is the opportunity for one of those valuable lessons, Josh defies him. Josh isn’t afraid of embarrassment, he just really wants to sit by himself and read (the book: A WRINKLE IN REALITY, in case we needed the prompt).

Buddy isn’t used to kids not being improved by his teachings, and he doesn’t take Josh’s reaction well. Suddenly, we’re in the next episode. The other children are aware that Josh is missing and that Hannah (Madison Skyy Polan) is new, even though she feels like she’s always been here. Then Freddy does some sleuthing, and soon discovers she’s got a problem she’d better not ask Buddy about …

We spend the first half-hour of BUDDY within the world of its episodes, which get more and more ominous, even with all the bright colors and lighting. We also get scrolling end credits for each episode that become progressively menacing without changing format.

Then we’re plonked into the real world, where we meet the happy suburban family of mom Grace (Cristin Milioti), dad Ben (Topher Grace), teen son Timothy (Seamus Flynn) and youngster Derek (Bryson Jonsteele). At least, they’re a happy family until Grace abruptly freaks out and falls into a depressive funk.

BUDDY doesn’t go exactly where we might think it’s going from here. We never go behind the scenes – Buddy and his universe exist on their own terms – though there is a moment where it stops inventing new twists and simply tears ahead. We can’t blame it for this, though it has been so darkly and delightfully weird and unpredictable for so long that we feel a tinge of loss when the surprises cease.

Director Casper Kelly & his cowriter Jamie King have brilliantly absorbed the molecular structure of the type of children’s programming they’re adapting. When they open up BUDDY’s world, every aspect of it looks exactly the way it should, including the gory parts.

The songs, with music by Shawn Coleman and lyrics by Kelly and King, precisely capture the sound and texture of what we’d find on BARNEY.

Buddy himself is likewise pitch-perfect, with Key hitting the bullseye with the unicorn’s goofy, cheery voice. Quinn is an excellent avatar of burgeoning anxiety, and Milioti ably addresses the pivots of her role.

Production designer Anna Kathleen, costume designer Shawna-Nova Foley and puppet designer Devon Hawkes Ludlow all make stellar contributions to BUDDY’s look and feel, evoking a whole genre.

We can commend BUDDY’s makers for not over-explaining what’s happening. At the same time, the film falters a bit in its last act. Even though it concludes, it’s been so wide-ranging that it comes to a stop more than builds to a finale.

Still, BUDDY is a definite kick for those ready to confront their childhood (or later) TV trauma.

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