Buddy
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: September 4, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
ColliderRoss BonaimeJan 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
83
IndieWireChristian ZilkoJan 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
63
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJan 26, 2026
In short: Too Many Cooks plus too many minutes. Read full review
80
Screen DailyTim GriersonJan 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
80
SlateSam AdamsJan 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
75
The Daily BeastNick SchagerJan 24, 2026
A horror-comedy that takes a scalpel—or, more accurately, several weapons—to its jaunty protagonist, all while reveling in his darkly disturbed spirit. Read full review
75
The Film StageCaleb HammondJan 28, 2026
By and large, Buddy proves that high-concept, short-form premises can be expanded to a feature format effectively, so long as the final film isn’t too winky and its stakes feel grounded. Read full review
40
The GuardianBenjamin LeeJan 27, 2026
The novelty of a malevolent presence in the wholesome, brightly lit world of a kids TV show can’t quite sustain an engaging 95-minute feature, Kelly not knowing where to take his admittedly attention-securing setup. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyJan 28, 2026
The movie is a one-joke premise, cute and colorful but unsatisfyingly fleshed out. Read full review
40
TheWrapChase HutchinsonJan 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
60
VarietyOwen GleibermanJan 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
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