Title: Buddy
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Casper Kelly
Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti, Michael Shannon
Runtime: 1hr 35 min

What It Is: What would happen if Barney was an eldritch demon that trapped children in his TV Show? That’s basically Buddy. A PBS kids show from hell, and it’s a hell of a good time.

What We Think: Oh man, this one had me giddy. I will spoil the end of the review immediately: I fucking loved this film. This movie was designed for me to love it. You have a premise that is really fun, puppetry, cosmic horror, goofy comedy, glorious gore? I was hooked from start to finish. Buddy was such an evil bastard of a character, it was easy to root against him. It took turns that I wasn’t expecting, and it did it all while having a bright multicolored presentation. I enjoyed this movie a lot.

For all the love I have for it, there was a slump, however. Midway through, about the point with the cowboy puppet the pace began to drag a bit and not all of the jokes landed for me. I wonder if this stems from the concept being better suited to shorts, but there was a notable five to ten minutes the movie did not feel as cohesive as it could’ve been. By the end I was back to being fully invested, though.

Other than that segment of the movie, though, it was a very very solid film. If I were to make a comparison, I would say it’s like a film length even mix of Too Many Cooks ( another Casper Kelly venture) and Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared. If you love those properties, you will love this film.

Our Grade: B+, Shoutout to Christina Miloti and Keegan Michael Key, both actors were wonderful in their parts and the fact that I had no idea it was Keegan Michael Key in the Buddy suit despite him having so much character and presence, I think is a testament to how much he really dedicated himself to this character. Yes he was in a full body suit, but the fact that he was able to be so menacing in a ridiculous outfit I think is a testament to his ability. If it weren’t for that five to ten minutes in the middle, this would be an easy A.