Buddy (2026) Movie Review: A Complete Rip-Off of…
Ahoy!
We’re scared… scared alright.
No, we weren’t frightened by watching Buddy. Yes, it does have its jump-scare moments, but for the most part, it’s a predictable film.
What we’re afraid of is that we believe there’s a double-crossing fish among us.
This movie is a clear rip-off of Bloopy. Someone obviously sold our script to Roadside Attractions and Saban Films. What kind of fish would do such a thing? Wait a minute.
Human Test Subject #23 did escape… I mean, Human Test Subject #23 did swim on his own one night.
WARNING! ENTERING SPOILER-INFESTED WATERS!
(We’ll let you know when it’s safe to swim back to the surface.)
BLOOP!
Synopsis: A lovable fish named Bloopy unicorn named Buddy (Keegan-Michael Key) is brought to life in a 90s episodic TV Land. Buddy’s entourage includes young kids, talking animals, mailboxes, couches—you name it! A perfect, happy, nostalgic home every child wishes they could be a part of.
Suddenly, tragedy happens and Buddy’s houseguests go missing in the woods, along with his mailbox, Buddy decides to go on a rescue mission. In the real world, Grace (Cristin Milioti) notices one of her own kids went missing too, and volunteers to join Buddy’s search party.
BUDDY ENDING EXPLAINED:
Not every fish child at Buddy’s residence is happy.
After Grace gets trapped inside of her television, the ultimate question emerges: What the bloop is going on? This leads to the mystery surrounding the film’s universe. It’s clear that some form of memory wipe or brainwashing is taking place.
(Note: Begin human memory wipe experimentation. Start with Test Subject #23.)
Bloopy Buddy is a murderous, angry, dark-dimensional demon of sorts underneath that bright unicorn costume, and he can’t end his episode without the kids. He’s also a pervert, by the way…
It’s never explained in the film, but it appears Buddy needs to have more than one child to complete his episode. Furthermore, this leads to the ultimate question again—what the bloop is going on?
After the kids find their escape down the wishing well, they enter a room with another theme-park-costumed character working on contraptions. Buddy murders everyone in the room.
BLOOP!
Okay, almost everyone.
One of the children, Freddy (Delaney Quinn) and her backpack sidekick, Strappy (Patton Oswalt), manages to escape Buddy’s temper tantrum, leading her into what appears to be a school. Freddy and Strappy murder Buddy.
Here’s where things get interesting. Freddy and Strappy stumble upon a room full of monitors. Each monitor displays the interiors of homes, and one child reaches out and touches Freddy’s hand. Without hesitation, Freddy takes Strappy through one of the TV screens into what appears to be her home. However, she realizes she’s not in Kansas anymore, and just committed a B&E misdemeanor.
To make matters worse, not only is this not her home, but Strappy is just a normal backpack now.
Ultimately this is where the film fades to black, and we’re still left with questions. Who’s controlling these rooms? Who’s monitoring the events that are transpiring? Who stole our script? How were Grace and her family members’ memories wiped? What was Buddy really? And what the bloop was that?
A few clues that might help us answer some questions:
- Beneath the “Worry Well,” Benny the Unicorn works on props for Buddy’s show.
- A psychic investigator (Brooke Bloom) gives us a few clues as to what might be going on. A supernatural force?
- Obviously, Strappy is alive only in the TV dimension, and yes, these events happened.
Who is the showrunner? Perhaps it’s just your everyday alternate reality. Maybe it was created by a secret, government-funded organization with a sinister motive. Maybe this dark dimension is being run by fish.
We’d have to swim back to this film and put on our detective hats to uncover more clues. For now, we’ll bet on the latter. After all, what do we know? We’re just fish.
SPOILER FREE ZONE: SWIM BACK
Buddy is a perfect after-school television program for young kids on a rainy afternoon who are forced to stay indoors instead of doing their chores or homework.
While Human Test Subject #23 deserves his mind to be wiped, Buddy deserves a hug for this surprisingly entertaining film. Exceptional world-building, dark humor, and strong performances keep this movie in our fish favorites catalog for the year so far.
FISHY FUN FACT:
Did you know? The director of Buddy, Casper Kelly, is the same fish human behind the viral, surreal, and deeply unsettling Adult Swim short Too Many Cooks. That explains why the movie perfectly captures that creepy, analog-TV nightmare aesthetic!
Article by Uni Fish #1
