‘Buddy’: Evil Lurks Beneath a Cuddly Exterior in Delightfully Deranged Slasher

Sandra Miska

Truth be told, there is something inherently creepy, even sinister, about a lot of children’s characters. This is a topic that has been explored in films such as “Death to Smoochy,” “Brigsby Bear,” and now the horror thriller “Buddy.” This newest film centers on Buddy the Unicorn (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), a Barney-like character who stars in his own show in which he teaches lessons about friendship, sharing, dancing, etc. to a revolving group of children. He also demands unconditional love and forced hugs. The main plot takes place in 1999, and Delaney Quinn kills as Freddy, a child member of the cast. The sharp young girl cannot remember life before a soundstage, but starts to question her surroundings and Buddy’s role as the ultimate role model after some horrifying happenings.

“Buddy” is the feature debut of Casper Kelly, the director behind the viral sensation “Too Many Cooks,” a short film parody of the opening credits of a sitcom that became increasingly dark and bizarre. He applies a similar concept here, peeling back the curtain on an outwardly shiny and happy world, but goes a step further. Buddy is a pervert, as we see him assault at least one adult, but also a manipulator, and, most disturbingly, a murderer, one that even snuffs out multiple kids. The whole thing can be viewed as a cautionary tale about grooming and child abuse, as Freddy is initally dismissed when she expresses her fears about Buddy. 

Luckily, Freddy trusts her instincts, and after a horrifying struggle, she flees with two of the other kids, Hannah (Madison Skyy Polan) and Oliver (Tristan Broders). They bring with them two anthropomorphic pals, a mailbox aptly-named Mr. Mailbox (Eric Bauza), and Strappy (Patton Oswalt), a backpack inspired by Dora the Explorer’s special friend. They find themselves in what could best be described as a warped Oz-like world, one in which Kelly does a satisfying job of filling with twists and trips. While they seek freedom and Diamond City, a utopia they have only heard about, they unfortunately find themselves in what is an extension of Buddy’s universe, and we learn that the orange unicorn’s reign of terror has spanned generations. The trio run into elderly George (Clint Howard), a sad cowboy and former victim of Buddy’s, and his Howdy Doody-inspired ventriloquist dummy, Willie (Michael Shannon). Like them, the pair learned the hard way about challenging Buddy.

Meanwhile, Grace (Cristin Milioti), a modern-day girlboss and mother of two boys, is going through it. She cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong, which exasperates her husband (Topher Grace). She eventually comes to the conclusion that they had a third child, a girl, whom they cannot remember and have no record of. Her story distracts from the main plot, but the two worlds collide after she is sucked into her television. Since Freddy and her friends live in 1999, it would make sense to have Grace be a former child in that world, a memory she could have suppressed, but she is instead drawn to Freddy, whom she believes is her missing daughter.

In the third act, Kelly keeps his foot on the gas pedal, never letting up when it comes to mixing bloody violence and children. Just when one thinks Buddy could not be any more terrifying, he sheds another layer, literally. The young ones find themselves in a terrifying labyrinth, and, keeping with current trends, a few backrooms. In the end, Freddy proves herself to be a worthy heroine. As it turns out, Buddy’s trite lessons about resourcefulness and determination were not a complete waste.

“Buddy” releases Aug. 28 in theaters nationwide.