What if Barney the Dinosaur had an axe, and was holding an entire cast of children, and some adult’s, hostage? This is the unhinged question that is right at the core of the new horror movie “Buddy”, with the directional debut from Casper Kelley. Kelley is the mastermind behind one of Adult’s Swim’s viral short film “Too Many Cooks.” Using “Buddy,” he takes a mixture of analog horror, nostalgia, bright vivid aesthetic, and shocking body horror to lead the viewer into a cinematic nightmare. The result is a brightly colored trip down memory lane that transforms into a delightful, twisted horror-comedy.
Released on Aug. 28, “Buddy” follows the show “It’s Buddy,” which is a parody of a 1990 children’s television program, where Buddy, a giant, huggable, orange unicorn is brought to life by practical costuming, a mix of sugary cheer, and a menacing tone by Keegan-Michael Key. As the movie starts, we quickly see how the cheesy sing-alongs, life lessons, and brightly colored sets are all slowly deteriorating as Buddy’s personality comes to life.
The child actors in “It’s Buddy,” are led by Delaney Quinn, a young performer named Freddy who gradually comes to her senses and learns she is unable to leave the set. Eventually, she comes to the realization that she, and the other children, are stuck in an infinite production loop controlled by a mascot that expects total compliance, or else…
The movie then shifts to the real world, where we see a suburban mother named Grace, played by Cristin Milioti, who has a strange feeling that something feels off. She then launches a full investigation into a forgotten broadcast that has seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. As the real and TV world slowly start to bleed into each other the film races into a battle between hysterical absurdity and childhood innocence.
The strongest asset of “Buddy” is its commitment to keep the aesthetic of that 1990s television feel all around. The set design, costume, highly contrasted color, and the ability to flawlessly shift aspect ratios was superb. Kelly is able to demonstrate his knowledge that in order for the horror to land, the parody must feel real. The “It’s Buddy” set, despite its bright colors, still gives off that claustrophobic feeling, mimicking many of the real-world educational television sets from the 1990s.
The perormances are what truly defines this surreal universe. This i seen as Keegan-Michael Key, the voice of Buddy, delivers a stunning voice performance. Key is able to seamlessly shift from the bubbly, high-pitched voice of Buddy, to a low-pitched booming threat, in many cases, in the same sentence. Delaney Quinn perfectly encapsulates the emotional stakes as Freddy, being able to express the paralyzing terror of a child trapped in an endless time loop, with a deranged unicorn. On the other side, Cristin Milioti does a swell job displaying the deeply moving, desperate performance that stops the movie from becoming a reoccurring comedy disaster. The movie takes notes from both the satire of media commercialism and the exploitation of child performers, making it hit incredibly sharp comedic notes.
However, the idea of stretching Kelley’s eleven-minute Adult Swim concept into a 95-minute film, led to some drag throughout the movie. As you can slightly feel in the transition in the second half of the movie, it turns into a more conventional horror-thriller chase. The overall pacing is sort of led astray, especially when the film attempts to over-explain its mythology on screen.
Diving deeper into its mythology, is the one thing I wish was explained a tiny bit more. As during the last half of the movie, there were bits and pieces shown of Buddy’s backstory and where it all originated from in the first place. Although it wasn’t all the way explained in the movie, I do hope a potential sequel can be considerate of how “It’s Buddy” started.
Ultimately, “Buddy” is a chaotic, sort-of original swing, at the subgenre of mascot horror. Its vibrant practical effects, bold vibrant coloring, and its unpredictability, make up for the lack of an ending the movie fails to provide. However, by choosing to focus more on the psychological aspects, and media satire, it stands on two hooves above its competitors. If you grew up watching colorful pastel style 90s television, like me, you should highly consider adding “Buddy” to your watchlist.
