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Buddy

2026

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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64

USER SCORE

No score yet

tbd

RELEASE DATE: September 4, 2026

Buddy

Movie Details & Credits

Roadside Attractions | Release Date: September 4, 2026 | Not Rated

Summary: A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids television show.

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Horror

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 95 min

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Metascore

Negative:

0

Critic Reviews

83

IndieWire Christian Zilko

Jan 27, 2026

Simply put, Buddy is everything you could want from a midnight movie. It gets harder and harder to find something that feels fresh enough to be truly shocking and executed competently enough to transcend its gimmicks, and we should all celebrate when we find one. Read full review

80

Slate

Sam Adams

Jan 27, 2026

While it digs deep into the eerie insularity of mediocre TV, Kelly’s movie is also informed by the understanding that some of the best children’s entertainment is driven by a powerful sense of the uncanny. Read full review

80

Screen Daily

Tim Grierson

Jan 28, 2026

In truth, Buddy is not especially scary, its many kill scenes staged for laughs. But if this horror-comedy makes an obvious point — television shows meant for kids sure are weird — Kelly finds enough fresh ways to exploit the idea. Read full review

70

Collider Ross Bonaime

Jan 27, 2026

Buddy is a blood-soaked nightmare full of dark humor and surprisingly touching moments. Like its title character, Buddy isn’t just fluff, there’s something deeper inside. Read full review

63

New York Post

Johnny Oleksinski

Jan 26, 2026

In short: Too Many Cooks plus too many minutes. Read full review

60

Variety

Owen Gleiberman

Jan 28, 2026

Casper Kelly is a talent to watch. In “Buddy,” he’s essentially reviving an old joke and doing multiple variations on it. But he has a gleefully rich understanding of the inner insanity that can drive pop culture. Read full review

40

TheWrap

Chase Hutchinson

Jan 26, 2026

Each time you think you’re seeing the daylight of something potentially better to explore on the horizon, “Buddy” keeps dragging you back into the banal darkness. Like the kids, you deserve far better than whatever this lackluster production amounts to. Read full review

SEE ALL 11 REVIEWS

Positive:

0

Mixed:

0

Negative:

0

User reviews are not available for this movie until September 4, 2026.

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Awards & Rankings

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