'BUDDY' Review One of the Weirdest Horror Surprises of 2026

In this episode of the Movie Files Podcast, Elliott reviews BUDDY (2026), the bizarre new horror-comedy from director Casper Kelly starring Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti, and Delaney Quinn. Imagine Barney, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Backrooms, and Alice in Wonderland colliding inside one colorful childhood nightmare. Elliott breaks down why Buddy completely surprised him, including its incredible production design, creepy children’s-show aesthetic, awkward humor, strong performances, and the surprisingly interesting themes of childhood innocence, control, and manipulation. He also discusses where the movie falls short, why he wanted more answers about the mythology and mechanics of Buddy’s world, and why his horror-loving brain wished the kills went just a little harder. Is BUDDY worth watching? Is this giant orange unicorn basically Barney from Hell? And how did something this strange actually work? Find out in this spoiler-free review. Topics: Buddy review, Buddy 2026, Buddy movie review, horror movies 2026, horror comedy, Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti, Casper Kelly, new horror movies, Movie Files Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices