By Aileene-Bjork Novascotia, staff writer

Before going to see Casper Kelly’s “Buddy,” I read online about several incidents where parents demanded refunds after taking their children to what they thought was a family film. I scratched my head about how this mix-up could’ve occurred despite its “R” rating and creepily ominous poster. Nevertheless, now that I’ve seen it, I believe “Buddy” is absolutely worth your money… just don’t bring your kids. 

“It’s Buddy!” is a children’s TV show about a large fluffy unicorn, Buddy, who lives in a cozy house and plays with children, solving everyday problems along the way. 

It’s on its main show’s set where “Buddy” brilliantly sets up its innocent facade by adopting classic kids’ show conventions. The show is complete with a catchy theme song, educational cutaways that teach facts, friendly talking objects, and parts where the characters sing to their heart’s content.  

However, you’ll most likely enter the movie knowing something is wrong, so fortunately, “Buddy” wastes no time in letting you know something is off. Once Freddie, a child cast member, realizes one of her fellow cast members was murdered, “Buddy” begins to turn into an incredibly engaging rabbit hole that’s equal parts unnerving, horrifying, and sometimes funny. 

But this is primarily a horror movie. “Buddy” develops its horror expertly, in that regard, and does it at a steady pace that doesn’t wear thin. 

Characters start off content with their situation, but soon they start asking themselves questions that reveal that they feel like they’ve been on “It’s Buddy” for an eternity. They’re aware of their situation and trying to figure out how to get out of it, only to occasionally get set back every so often.  

That’s not as disturbing as what happens when Buddy gets upset by people going off script, which doesn’t end well. Buddy’s tantrums and worst moments are enough to make anyone uncomfortable or grip the edge of their seat–me included. Buddy doesn’t discriminate with who he kills, whether they’re a child or adult, which makes the experience all the more horrifying to watch. 

Then again, “Buddy” knows when to put its foot into comedic territory amidst all the tension and carnage. Whether it’s randomly singing a song about getting a splinter to get away from Buddy or the children eating allegedly butterscotch-flavored flower petals and accidentally getting high, “Buddy” is a good laugh as much as it is a macabre movie. 

The most interesting aspect of “Buddy” is how it expands on previous events. Helping this notion is how if everybody hugs Buddy, it serves as a cue for the credits to begin rolling, moving to the next episode and resetting the show to its factory default. Thus, that serves as something the children want to avoid but sometimes have to give into. Whether they do or don’t, they retain what they’ve learned in the next episode. 

What serves as the eye-candy of the film is the set design that mimics the aesthetic of shows like “Barney and Friends” and “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.” Everything is colorful and full of spirit, which is a perfect breeding ground for something to go wrong, but it grants life to what should be an otherwise eerie premise. Even outside of the main set of “Buddy,” like in a forest or desert, the set design fits perfectly since the entire vibe of the movie is that everything is essentially fake. 

On a similar note, the cast of children and the few adults do a wonderful job of creating distress from slowly learning about their situation. No matter if they’re surviving, reminiscing, or even treading into emotional territory, they all still perform in a way that sounds like they’re still acting in “It’s Buddy!” 

Stealing the spotlight is the voice-over work from Keegan-Michael Key as Buddy. He does a stupendous job at creating the happy but murderous facade for Buddy the unicorn, keeping his voice high pitched no matter if he has children or an axe in his arms.  

Patton Oswalt as Strappy the backpack and “Looney Tunes” star Eric Bauza as many of the talking objects deserve a spotlight as well. Their vocal work serves as great comedic relief in this cruel, cruel scenario the children find themselves in. 

In the end, “Buddy” is the mascot horror movie we’ve needed for a while. The premise of being cute and cuddly on the outside but malicious on the inside might not be original, but “Buddy” does it extraordinarily well to the point where you could say it might be the best of its kind. Then again, you have to praise it for being a rainbow-colored rabbit hole of a time, too. 

I rate “Buddy” a 9/10.