A cheerful ‘90s children’s programme becomes a full-blown horror show.
A pink bunny, an anthropomorphic backpack, a living mailbox and, last but not least, a big orange unicorn named Buddy: all beloved characters from an educational ‘90s TV show teaching young kids to sing songs and be kind. But beware if you don’t follow Buddy’s orders...
Director and screenwriter Casper Kelly masterminded the viral Adult Swim short Too Many Cooks, based on another cornerstone of ‘90s TV history: the sitcom. In Buddy, he looks at what lurks behind the deceptively colourful aesthetic of children’s television, with a key role for the always brilliant Cristin Milioti (The Penguin). The titular unicorn (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key!) is part father figure, part narcissist – and clearly a murderous take on Barney, the relentlessly positive purple dinosaur. Referencing classics like Thomas the Tank Engine and Sesame Street and packed with old-school puppetry, Buddy adds a fun but rather bitter aftertaste to your childhood nostalgia.
