This year is turning out to be a plentiful one for original, exciting, independent horror films. “Obsession’ and “Backrooms” both achieved successful box office numbers, but people should not forget the other smaller releases of “Hokum” and “Leviticus.”
These four titles are making 2026 a significant year for the horror genre, and we're not even close to the end of 2026. The latest film I watched in the theater is “Buddy,” and it might be another entry in this year's great horror pictures.
Director and co-screenwriter Caspar Kelly has created a disturbing combination of genres: an innocent, colorful kids' TV show called "It's Buddy,” featuring a large, fuzzy orange unicorn named Buddy and his group of 10-year-old friends who sing and dance with him.
When one child disappears in the TV show, the other kids start to question their safety with Buddy and wonder if they should escape. This film is a dark subversion of mainstream children's entertainment. It's a comedy, an adventure, and a very bloody monster film. But most of all, “Buddy” is a coming-of-age film about sheltered kids who feel lost and eventually fight back for their freedom.
Obviously, “Buddy” is inspired by famous TV shows “Barney and Friends,” and ‘Pee-wee's Playhouse,” but with the twist of a violent narcissist psychopath at the center, shot in only 25 days, relishing in 1990s nostalgia and exploring mysterious liminal spaces with little explanation.
“Buddy” is continuing the current trends of horror on the big screen. The disruptive moments of lechery, fire, and stabbing will make viewers gasp, laugh, and squirm all at the same time. The giant mascot costume of the smiling orange unicorn is not a figure to be trusted.
Kristen Milliati's performance as a haunted mother and wife brings a mature presence to this film. “Buddy” is not just an enlarged episode of “Blue's Clues” that goes off the rails with kids constantly screaming and running.
Milliati helps both the sense of danger and the importance of family connections feel stronger without hitting you over the head. “Five Nights at Freddy's” from 2023 and “Mister Crockett” from 2024 are closely related to “Buddy” since they all disguise evil with images reminiscent of our childhoods.
This 96-minute film is not that scary or gripping, but it sure is entertaining, and it gives a much different look to the horror genre.
For Flicks at 48, I'm Casey T. Allen.
