Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 930
RT slug: buddy_2026
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/buddy_2026
Release year: 2026
Runtime: 95 mins
Wide release date: 2026-08-28
Limited release date: —
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: —
Tomatometer final: 84%
Audience score final: —
Genres: Horror
Directors: Chris 'Casper' Kelly
Writers: Chris 'Casper' Kelly, Jamie King
Producers: Drew Sykes, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules, Tracy Rosenblum, Tyler Davidson
MPAA rating: —
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-07-24 20:23:31
Updated: 2026-07-26 15:59:51
Remember BUDDY--the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic children's television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room? Inside the colorful world of "It's Buddy!", a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.
—
Canonical reviews: 35
Canonical fresh: 29
Canonical rotten: 6
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 83%
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-08-21 20:38:54
Snapshot Tomatometer: 83%
Snapshot review count: 35
Snapshot fresh count: —
Snapshot rotten count: —
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #2981 (delta_update)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| Roadside Attractions / Saban Films | distributor |
| BoulderLight Pictures | production |
| Low Spark Films | production |
| Sipur Studios | production |
| Substance | production |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristin Milioti | Grace |
| 2 | Delaney Quinn | Freddy |
| 3 | Topher Grace | Ben |
| 4 | Keegan-Michael Key | Buddy |
| 5 | Michael Shannon | — |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 946 | processed | — | 2026-07-24 20:23:31 | Processed successfully into movie_id=930 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2981 | 2026-08-21 15:38:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-08-21 20:38:54 | 83% | 35 | processed | Mode=delta_update. Processed 1 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=1, fresh=1, rotten=0, tomatometer=100%. Net new reviews added=1, fresh=1, rotten=0. Current canonical totals=35 reviews, 29 fresh, 6 rotten, tomatometer=83% (82.857%). Entered headline matched current canonical totals (35 reviews, 83%). |
| 2742 | 2026-08-14 05:06:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-08-14 10:06:42 | 82% | 34 | processed | Mode=delta_update. Processed 1 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=1, fresh=1, rotten=0, tomatometer=100%. Net new reviews added=1, fresh=1, rotten=0. Current canonical totals=34 reviews, 28 fresh, 6 rotten, tomatometer=82% (82.353%). Entered headline matched current canonical totals (34 reviews, 82%). |
| 2691 | 2026-08-10 08:02:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-08-10 13:02:34 | 82% | 33 | processed | Mode=delta_update. Processed 1 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=1, fresh=1, rotten=0, tomatometer=100%. Net new reviews added=1, fresh=1, rotten=0. Current canonical totals=33 reviews, 27 fresh, 6 rotten, tomatometer=82% (81.818%). Entered headline matched current canonical totals (33 reviews, 82%). |
| 2675 | 2026-08-10 03:32:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-08-10 08:32:31 | 81% | 32 | processed | Mode=delta_update. Processed 1 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=1, fresh=0, rotten=1, tomatometer=0%. Net new reviews added=1, fresh=0, rotten=1. Current canonical totals=32 reviews, 26 fresh, 6 rotten, tomatometer=81% (81.250%). Entered headline matched current canonical totals (32 reviews, 81%). |
| 2332 | 2026-07-26 10:58:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-07-26 15:58:42 | 84% | 31 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 31 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=31, fresh=26, rotten=5, tomatometer=84%. Net new reviews added=31, fresh=26, rotten=5. Current canonical totals=31 reviews, 26 fresh, 5 rotten, tomatometer=84% (83.871%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (31). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (84%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 248310 | Aaron Neuwirth | We Live Entertainment | Fresh | 7/10 | 2026-08-21T19:02:14.000Z | 2026-08-21 19:02:14 | With that in mind, the right mindset will have you prepared for a pretty violent feature that may lean on shock humor but is still rife with clever bits, solid performances, and enough creative surprises to make it memorable. |
| 243220 | Lexi Amoriello | Movie Recs by Lex | Fresh | — | 2026-08-13T15:18:25.000Z | 2026-08-13 15:18:25 | Delightfully deranged, darkly disturbing, and absurdly amusing, Buddy turns childhood nostalgia into a colorful nightmare that goes completely off the rails. |
| 238411 | Edward Douglas | The Weekend Warrior (Substack) | Fresh | 7.5/10 | 2026-08-10T12:41:14.000Z | 2026-08-10 12:41:14 | A clever feature debut from Kelly [that] pokes fun at those kiddie shows like Barney and the Teletubbies, but is still quite reverential. |
| 236770 | Lisa Laman | Land of the Nerds | Rotten | — | 2026-08-09T20:39:15.000Z | 2026-08-09 20:39:15 | As a horror film or something new in the crowded space of dark takes on kids' television, Buddy's far from the best pal around. |
| 204634 | Molly Henery | The Blogging Banshee | Fresh | 8/10 | 2026-04-17T23:47:25.000Z | 2026-04-17 23:47:25 | Buddy is a hilarious, suspenseful, and heartfelt adventure turning millennial nostalgia into the stuff of nightmares. |
| 204635 | Rachel Wagner | Rachel's Reviews (YouTube) | Fresh | — | 2026-02-12T03:10:55.000Z | 2026-02-12 03:10:55 | It is fun. It starts to take itself too seriously but overall people will have a good time with it |
| 204636 | Josh Korngut | Dread Central | Fresh | 3/5 | 2026-02-07T03:08:42.000Z | 2026-02-07 03:08:42 | Imperfect, yes, but films like ‘Buddy’ don’t come along very often, and filmmakers like Casper Kelly are even rarer. |
| 204637 | Andrew J. Salazar | Discussing Film | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2026-02-04T18:51:13.000Z | 2026-02-04 18:51:13 | Buddy is worth watching for Keegan-Michael Key's creepy and hilarious voice performance alone, but its surreal horrors also linger in your mind long after the credits roll. |
| 204638 | Alan French | Sunshine State Cineplex | Fresh | 8/10 | 2026-01-30T04:42:47.000Z | 2026-01-30 04:42:47 | While Buddy might not be for everyone, it’s a fun and weird horror experience you’re unlikely to forget. Featuring great performances and visuals, Kelly continues to build his brand as an absurdist horror filmmaker. |
| 204639 | Abe Friedtanzer | Awards Buzz | Fresh | 7/10 | 2026-01-29T16:07:50.000Z | 2026-01-29 16:07:50 | Buddy most certainly is not for everyone, but those willing to laugh at its send-up of children’s TV shows and the horrors that could lurk behind them should have a great time. |
| 204640 | Sam Adams | Slate | Fresh | — | 2026-01-27T20:43:14.000Z | 2026-01-27 20:43:14 | The movie’s hilarious and unsettling disjunctions come from the way it introduces genuine menace into Buddy’s world without needing to rewrite its rules, because the menace was already bubbling just under the surface. |
| 204641 | Mel Valentin | ScreenAnarchy | Fresh | — | 2026-01-27T19:30:57.000Z | 2026-01-27 19:30:57 | Deftly balancing dark, cringe-worthy comedy with absurdist horror, Buddy delivers exactly what its primary image of a half-charred Buddy wielding an ax in an artificial forest promised: Twisted fun (not) for the whole family. |
| 204642 | Caleb Hammond | The Film Stage | Fresh | — | 2026-01-27T14:20:23.000Z | 2026-01-27 14:20:23 | 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 the stakes feel grounded. |
| 204643 | Nathan McVay | HeyUGuys | Fresh | 3/5 | 2026-01-26T11:58:51.000Z | 2026-01-26 11:58:51 | Fun, unhinged - Buddy accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. It is hilarious, unique, and wildly unpredictable, becoming a true Sundance original. |
| 204644 | Robert Daniels | RogerEbert.com | Rotten | — | 2026-01-26T08:05:26.000Z | 2026-01-26 08:05:26 | A delightfully bleak, but mostly missed opportunity. |
| 204645 | Derrick Murray | NERDBOT | Fresh | — | 2026-01-26T05:16:29.000Z | 2026-01-26 05:16:29 | "Buddy" is bloody, fun, and laugh out loud funny, knowing when to turn that dial to demented levels that is sure to delight audiences. I don’t know that it all works...but "Buddy" get’s more and more fun the weirder and weirder it gets. |
| 204646 | Brittany Patrice Witherspoon | Pop Culture Reviews | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2026-01-26T04:47:18.000Z | 2026-01-26 04:47:18 | Dismantling the perfect image of childhood shows, Kelly cuts through the propaganda in children’s entertainment with satire, wit, and style. |
| 204647 | Chase Hutchinson | TheWrap | Rotten | — | 2026-01-26T01:41:24.000Z | 2026-01-26 01:41:24 | 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. |
| 204648 | Matt Donato | Daily Dead | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2026-01-25T07:14:21.000Z | 2026-01-25 07:14:21 | It takes our snuggliest memories and feeds them through a meat grinder, never playing it safe or caring about the ages of those in danger. |
| 204649 | Meagan Navarro | Bloody Disgusting | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2026-01-25T02:22:19.000Z | 2026-01-25 02:22:19 | Casper Kelly continues his explorations of pop culture insanity, this time with an engaging and energetic descent into puppet-induced madness. While its satire is never quite that deep, Buddy‘s foremost aim is to entertain. It certainly succeeds. |
| 204650 | Owen Gleiberman | Variety | Fresh | — | 2026-01-25T00:34:32.000Z | 2026-01-25 00:34:32 | 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. |
| 204651 | David Rooney | The Hollywood Reporter | Rotten | — | 2026-01-25T00:32:07.000Z | 2026-01-25 00:32:07 | Genre audiences willing to settle for some weird-ass but ultimately toothless subversiveness might enjoy Buddy... But the movie is a one-joke premise, cute and colorful but unsatisfyingly fleshed out. |
| 204652 | Johnny Oleksinski | New York Post | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2026-01-24T23:40:12.000Z | 2026-01-24 23:40:12 | The first 20 minutes were side-splittingly funny and bitingly observed... Then a more ambitious story involving parents in the outside world, played by Cristin Milioti and Topher Grace, takes over, and the movie struggles to match its rocket-fuel kickoff. |
| 204653 | Chris Bumbray | JoBlo's Movie Network | Fresh | — | 2026-01-24T22:26:24.000Z | 2026-01-24 22:26:24 | Never lives up to the dazzling first thirty minutes, but still a fun gonzo horror ride. |
| 204654 | Ross Bonaime | Collider | Fresh | 7/10 | 2026-01-24T21:38:16.000Z | 2026-01-24 21:38:16 | Buddy is the kind of odd comedy that could take one joke and wear it out, but instead, Kelly’s film will leave you wanting even more of this nostalgic nightmare. |
| 204655 | Nick Schager | The Daily Beast | Fresh | — | 2026-01-24T13:46:37.000Z | 2026-01-24 13:46:37 | A horror-comedy that takes a scalpel—or, more accurately, several weapons—to its jaunty protagonist, all while reveling in his darkly disturbed spirit. |
| 204656 | Christian Zilko | IndieWire | Fresh | B+ | 2026-01-24T02:10:32.000Z | 2026-01-24 02:10:32 | 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. |
| 204657 | Fred Topel | United Press International | Fresh | — | 2026-01-24T01:40:59.000Z | 2026-01-24 01:40:59 | An effective satire of those shows that simplify morals for kids. Turning it into a slasher movie with Buddy stalking the kids turns the show into a funhouse hell. |
| 204658 | James Preston Poole | But Why Tho? | Rotten | 4/10 | 2026-01-23T23:00:51.000Z | 2026-01-23 23:00:51 | There is a great version of Buddy (2026) that either goes much further or is simply cut down into a short film. In its current form, it's a disappointment. |
| 204659 | Benjamin Lee | Guardian | Rotten | 2/5 | 2026-01-23T21:35:21.000Z | 2026-01-23 21:35:21 | With the poor child actors forced to stay in well-observed yet progressively grating Nickelodeon schtick, it’s hard to feel all that bothered about their survival. |
| 204660 | Sean Boelman | FandomWire | Fresh | 7/10 | 2026-01-23T21:09:58.000Z | 2026-01-23 21:09:58 | It’s a lot of fun, has a great concept, and has no shortage of visual style, but it feels like the type of movie destined more for late night/cult status than mainstream appeal. |
| 204661 | Damon Wise | Deadline Hollywood Daily | Fresh | — | 2026-01-23T20:49:20.000Z | 2026-01-23 20:49:20 | Kelly plays with form in ways that some might find exasperating, but there is always a method to his madness and, like Too Many Cooks, Buddy goes out on a psychedelic high, like an extraordinary experiment in mind control. |
| 204662 | Alfred Castaneda | Shade Studios | Fresh | — | 2026-01-23T20:15:53.000Z | 2026-01-23 20:15:53 | [Buddy] is proof that original storytelling is alive and well, even if it pulls from a bevy of influences. |
| 204663 | Travis Hopson | Punch Drunk Critics | Fresh | 3/5 | 2026-01-23T20:15:52.000Z | 2026-01-23 20:15:52 | It’s a film that will delight most Midnight audiences and stoners will dig it, but it’s also hard to escape that parodies of Barney feel so yesterday. |
| 204664 | Norman Gidney | HorrorBuzz | Fresh | 8/10 | 2026-01-23T18:40:25.000Z | 2026-01-23 18:40:25 | A deliriously absurd, journey through the banal world of children’s programming that serves as both satire and an indictment. Buddy is destined to become a cult classic. |
Showing the latest 100 canonical reviews for this movie.