We grew up in the 80s and 90s, when children’s television was packed with bright colors, goofy characters and enough catchy songs to permanently occupy your brain. BUDDY takes that nostalgia and does something considerably more disturbing with it.
The latest teaser for Casper Kelly‘s horror comedy focuses on children disappearing from the fictional town of Diamond City during the 1990s, adding another unsettling piece to whatever the hell is happening behind the cheerful facade of “It’s Buddy!”
The movie centers around the fictional children’s program hosted by Buddy, a bright orange unicorn who leads kids through songs, dancing, and life lessons. Everything appears perfectly wholesome until one of the children refuses to play along with Buddy’s expectations, setting off a much darker chain of events.
WATCH THE LATEST TEASER FOR “BUDDY” BELOW
The film’s R rating should probably tell you where this is heading. BUDDY is rated R for “bloody violence, some drug content and language,” with the rating specifically noting that it is “all involving children.” Move over “Sesame Street”, seems like Buddy is on the bad side of town.
Kelly, the filmmaker behind the wonderfully bizarre viral sensation Too Many Cooks, co-wrote the screenplay with Jamie King. The approach here feels like a corrupted piece of childhood television, taking something designed to make kids feel safe and turning it into something that clearly wants them nowhere near the television.
We really like what the marketing campaign is doing for Buddy, as you can now text 571 OH BUDDY and receive messages directly from the character. Naturally, we had to see what our orange friend had to say. The response told us Buddy couldn’t chat for long because the kids in Diamond City were in trouble.
We’re beginning to think he wasn’t kidding.
Keegan Michael Key provides the voice of Buddy, with Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Michael Shannon and Patton Oswalt also starring. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it began turning heads for its strange mixture of 90s television nostalgia and horror.
BUDDY arrives in theaters August 28, 2026, from Roadside Attractions and Saban Films.
