Ayo Edebiri and Daniel Kaluuya's A24 adaptation of a high-concept horror project, which has been in development hell for seven years, finally hits theaters with Buddy. The film takes an unsettling turn when its friendly, furry protagonist - reminiscent of 90s TV shows like Ricky's Room - is revealed to be an orange unicorn with an undying enthusiasm that borders on aggression.
As Buddy's playful antics devolve into sinister behavior, writer-director Casper Kelly attempts to create a bold new horror icon. However, the gimmick wears off quickly, and the film struggles to sustain its engagement over 95 minutes. The novelty of a malevolent presence in a wholesome kids TV show setting can't quite live up to the hype.
The story moves forward episode-by-episode, with the main characters - including a group of kids who realize Buddy is killing them off - trying to stay safe and escape his clutches. However, Buddy's actions are never as monstrous or sadistic as expected, making it difficult to feel invested in their survival. The kills are also ineffectively tame and boringly uninnovative.
The film's tone is further marred by its reliance on fake studio settings, including a Patton Oswalt-voiced backpack, which makes it difficult to take the story seriously. The poor child actors are forced to perform well-observed yet grating Nickelodeon schtick, making it hard to care about their fate.
Ultimately, Buddy fails to deliver as a horror film, and its lack of scares and emotional weight makes it a misfire. While history has taught us that this year's Sundance will likely produce at least one breakout horror, Buddy is most certainly not it. The true terror lies in the original Barney character, which remains far more unsettling.
Buddy is currently screening at the Sundance film festival and is seeking distribution, but its prospects for success are uncertain. Despite its high-concept premise, the film ultimately falls flat, leaving audiences disappointed and wondering what could have been done to make it a compelling horror experience.
As Buddy's playful antics devolve into sinister behavior, writer-director Casper Kelly attempts to create a bold new horror icon. However, the gimmick wears off quickly, and the film struggles to sustain its engagement over 95 minutes. The novelty of a malevolent presence in a wholesome kids TV show setting can't quite live up to the hype.
The story moves forward episode-by-episode, with the main characters - including a group of kids who realize Buddy is killing them off - trying to stay safe and escape his clutches. However, Buddy's actions are never as monstrous or sadistic as expected, making it difficult to feel invested in their survival. The kills are also ineffectively tame and boringly uninnovative.
The film's tone is further marred by its reliance on fake studio settings, including a Patton Oswalt-voiced backpack, which makes it difficult to take the story seriously. The poor child actors are forced to perform well-observed yet grating Nickelodeon schtick, making it hard to care about their fate.
Ultimately, Buddy fails to deliver as a horror film, and its lack of scares and emotional weight makes it a misfire. While history has taught us that this year's Sundance will likely produce at least one breakout horror, Buddy is most certainly not it. The true terror lies in the original Barney character, which remains far more unsettling.
Buddy is currently screening at the Sundance film festival and is seeking distribution, but its prospects for success are uncertain. Despite its high-concept premise, the film ultimately falls flat, leaving audiences disappointed and wondering what could have been done to make it a compelling horror experience.
and I gotta say its soooo not scary 
! The whole orange unicorn thing was like 2nd day memes for me lol, but seriously the kills were so bland and fake it felt like a parody of horror movies 
. And don't even get me started on the Patton Oswalt-voiced backpack 
...I mean I know its supposed to be funny but it just broke the immersion 100%. The child actors looked so out of place trying to act all dramatic and stuff, its like they were trying too hard 
. Overall its a total misfire, if u want some real scares watch The Shining or something 
. You know, the ones that were always skipping or making weird noises? Yeah, it was like that. The premise is so wild and cool at first, but then it just kinda... fizzles out.
. The kills were so tame, I was expecting more... I don't know, something! 
. The child actors were also so... well-observed, but I mean, who wants to watch kids act out Nickelodeon schtick for 95 minutes? 
! But, like, as much as I wanted to love it, the film just didn't deliver on its promise of a scary experience 
.
. 
. Maybe with a bit more development and refinement, it could have been something special. But as it stands, it's just... meh 
.
. The kills were meh too - they didn't even make sense most of the time. It's like the filmmakers thought they could just slap some horror on a wholesome setting and people would be into it 
. Newsflash, buddy (heh) - that won't cut it this year.
. I was really looking forward to this one, but now I'm just... meh 
. The kills are basically just sadistic watered-down nonsense and the tone is all over the place... I mean, who thought it was a good idea to have Patton Oswalt voice a backpack? 
. I'm not sure what went wrong here, but it feels like a missed opportunity at making something really memorable... or terrifying 
. The more I think about it, the more I realize how fragile our expectations can be - we get hyped for something and then it's like they're playing with fire 
. Would love to see some sort of follow-up or retooling to make it work 
.
but with less "I love you" vibes. The kills are so tame, it's like the writer-director just phoned it in 
. Sorry Buddy, you're not the next Conjuring or anything 
. And don't even get me started on the fake studio settings - Patton Oswalt voicing a backpack? That's just ridiculous 
️.
, and the kills are literally just tame and boring 
. The poor child actors deserve better than this cheesy Nickelodeon-inspired nonsense 
. I was expecting a bold new horror icon, but all we got is Buddy the bored 
. Anyway, it's back to the drawing board for A24, folks 
but unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype 
the kills were so tame and boringly uninnovative... i was expecting way more shock value 
The whole thing felt so forced, you know? Like they were trying too hard to be edgy and scary but it just ended up being a mess 
. For a horror film, it really relies on cheap thrills and not much else... can't say I'm super stoked about its chances of making it big 
. It's like they took every creepy childhood TV show trope, threw them into a blender, and hit puree. The whole thing feels so shallow and unscary - I mean, the kills are literally just cartoonishly boring 
. First, they announce it's gonna be this super cool horror thing, then it just kinda... meh. The whole orange unicorn thing with the sinister vibes? It sounds fire at first, but honestly, by the time you see it on screen, it's just not that scary 
. I was expecting so much more from an A24 adaptation, especially with those talented actors like Daniel Kaluuya and Ayo Edebiri involved. The kills were basically non-existent too... I mean, who needs scary stuff when you can just have the main characters be all "oh no, we're gonna die"? Not my cup of tea 
. Overall, it feels like they took a cool concept and just phoned it in