Buddy

"It's Buddy!"

2026 1h 35m EN

🙌

7.9

BANGER

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★7.9TMDB · 71●64Metacritic★7.3IMDB · 102

HorrorComedyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A magical, singing orange unicorn holds his cast hostage in a surreal TV-show dimension, as he becomes more and more demented.

“It's Buddy!”

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Cast

Keegan-Michael Key
Buddy the Unicorn (voice)
Cristin Milioti
Grace
Delaney Quinn
Freddy
Caleb Williams
Wade
Madison Skyy Polan
Hannah
Tristan Borders
Oliver
Patton Oswalt
Strappy (voice)
Jimmica Collins
Betty Bunny (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Casper Kelly
Writers: Casper Kelly, Jamie King
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United States of America, Israel

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 8.9× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Israel.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Casper Kelly, shot by Zach Kuperstein. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Yezerski. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Josh Ethier shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Casper Kelly directs. Zach Kuperstein behind the camera. Michael Yezerski scores. Josh Ethier cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America, Israel. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 8.9× over at the box office.
3Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
5International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Israel.
6Directed by Casper Kelly, shot by Zach Kuperstein. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Michael Yezerski. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Josh Ethier shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Keegan-Michael Key and Cristin Milioti and Delaney Quinn carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "It's Buddy!".
11IMDB entry: tt37281055 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Only 71 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
13Classified under 12 themes, including "supernatural", "dark comedy", "gore", "slasher".

The technical file

Cinematography: Zach Kuperstein
Original score: Michael Yezerski
Editing: Josh Ethier
Production design: Anna Kathleen
Costume design: Shawna-Nova Foley
Sound: Mac Smith
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,000,000
Box office: $26,848,371
Return: 895% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Buddy (2026)
Metacritic: 64/100
IMDB rating: 7.3/10 · 102 votes

Awards

1 nomination total

Also by

Casper Kelly

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Chris Sawin2026-08-28
★ 9/10
If you like puppets, practical effects, and grotesque horror that is disguised as something cutesy, then Buddy is a must-see. As a horror film, it’s surprising because it feels fresh and original with not only its comedic roots and psychological elements but also because it thrusts the audience into a bloodthirsty wonderland ruled by a demented orange unicorn eager to twist your head off. https://bit.ly/ItsBuddy
violetravenx2026-09-08
★ 9/10
Buddy (2026) starts like a fake children's show—giving major Don't Hug Me I'm Scared and Amanda the Adventurer game vibes—before going off the rails. After showing fake Barney-style episodes, it abruptly shifts to a real-world family. The mom realizes something is wrong after her daughter gets dragged into Buddy’s dimension. The mid-movie dimension hopping between mom's real-world investigation and the weird realm felt unnecessary and like a totally different film, but once mom enters Buddy's world, it gets good again. Unique plot for sure! It has solid body horror, though it honestly could’ve used WAY more gore for a mascot slasher! The ending is pure gold: a 50/50 mix of wholesome "Aww happy ending!" and "Wow, well that shit SUCKS for you!" 😂 Verdict: Confusing mid-movie shift aside, Buddy is a hilariously tragic, dark, nostalgic horror trip.
Nick2026-09-14
★ 5/10
Buddy feels like a deranged children’s show discovered on a cursed VHS tape: loud, colorful, impressively handmade, and increasingly hostile to its audience. The puppetry, sets, and practical effects are the main attraction, and Casper Kelly commits so completely to the nightmare logic that even the weaker jokes have a fascinating texture. Unfortunately, what works brilliantly as a sketch strains at feature length. The film keeps escalating without finding enough emotional or comedic variety, so the shock of its premise gradually becomes repetition. Cristin Milioti and the cast sell the panic, while the songs are obnoxiously catchy in exactly the right way. I admired how unapologetically strange it is more than I actually enjoyed it. A memorable orange menace trapped inside a movie that needed a sharper edit—and yes, the end-credits song absolutely rules.