Buddy: Movie Review

This movie is best described as nostalgia-based fear, which was almost certainly the intention behind it. There's something about 90s children's television shows and their mascots that is just so inexplicably creepy, and that's really what makes Buddy work. If you grew up watching these kinds of shows, you'll probably remember that strange, almost uncanny feeling they gave you, and Buddy manages to tap right into that nostalgia and bring it all back.

Buddy follows a group of children who become trapped inside a seemingly innocent 90s-style children's television programme called It's Buddy!, hosted by a cheerful, talking unicorn. As children begin mysteriously disappearing and attempts to escape prove unsuccessful, they slowly realise that something is seriously wrong with the world they've found themselves in. Meanwhile, in the real world, a family begins experiencing strange occurrences connected to the programme, leading the mother to uncover a disturbing connection to its host that she seemingly has no memory of.

At its core, this movie is a fun and fairly unique take on a type of horror that I've really only seen explored in short-form projects, and I can understand why. It's difficult to take a concept centred around a children's television mascot and expand it into a fully fleshed-out feature-length horror, especially when there's no human element hiding underneath the character. To really enjoy this movie, you have to be willing to suspend your disbelief a little, but there's no denying that it has some genuinely great scares and eerie moments that stuck with me long after watching.

One of the strongest aspects of the movie is undoubtedly its art direction. The production design is incredibly immersive, and I especially loved that the 90s VHS aesthetic wasn't just used as a gimmick for the opening before being abandoned for the rest of the movie. It remains a consistent part of the experience, which really helps sell the whole concept and makes everything feel that much more authentic. The set and character design are equally great, and there's a very distinct atmosphere to everything that I think works incredibly well. It's also surprisingly gnarly, vicious, and downright ridiculous at times, which is exactly what makes it so much fun.

That being said, as great as the art direction and overall aesthetic are, I can't help but feel that the film's potential ultimately exceeded its execution. There's so much more that could have been done with this concept, and honestly, the sky really was the limit, which makes it all the more disappointing that everything felt so toned down. At times, it almost feels like a censored version of what the original film could have been, as though it was holding itself back from fully exploring just how far it could take its own concept. I think this is particularly noticeable given how much the movie gets right in terms of its world-building and visual identity, which only makes you wish it had been willing to push things a little further.

My biggest recommendation would be to go into this one as blind as possible. There's so much samey horror out there that I'd almost forgotten how much fun it is to sit down and watch something without having the slightest idea where it's going, and Buddy managed to keep me guessing throughout. What I found particularly satisfying, though, was how much thought seemed to have gone into the world itself. Every time I found myself questioning something or wondering how certain aspects of the show's logic would work, the movie seemed to already have an answer waiting. It's not just the bigger ideas either, but all the little details that come with creating a fictional children's television programme and the strange rules that exist within it. It made the whole experience feel much more thought-out than I initially expected, and honestly, it's something I really appreciated.

While there are moments where the pacing slows down a little, I never felt like it took away from the overall experience. If anything, these quieter stretches give the movie enough breathing room between its more chaotic moments, allowing the stranger and more ridiculous aspects of the story to feel all the more effective when they do come around. Despite feeling like there's still plenty of untapped potential within its concept, Buddy is more than entertaining enough to keep you invested for its entire runtime.