Buddy, Casper Kelly's latest is as twisted as it is fun (SXSW Review)

Casper Kelly is back with another project, and I had the privilege of seeing it during my coverage of South By Southwest. In typical Casper Kelly fashion it's an insane, unhinged and awesome mess! Read on to hear our thoughts.

Many genre fans may know the name Casper Kelly, and if you don't know the name, you most certainly know his work. Casper Kelly's earliest and most iconic pieces of work was 1999s The Scooby Doo project, a short animated parody of The Blair Witch Project that puts the team behind Mystery Inc. themselves in place of the wandering victims searching for the Blair Witch. It's a short but sweet piece that many 90s and early 2000s kids may remember airing on Cartoon Network. Kelly has also carved out a niche with off-beat original works at Adult Swim, such as Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell, the experimental films This House Has People In It and Too Many Cooks. More recently he created made for TV horror films Yule Log and its sequel, and even as recently as last fall he helmed the Fun Size segment in Shudders V/H/S/Halloween. Now, Casper Kelly is back with a new twisted tale, one that I personally had been anticipating since I first heard whispers about it.

The film in question is Buddy, which follows a group of kids in a children's television show, a mother who finds herself transported to this make believe world of colorful characters and catchy songs, and at the center of it all, a maniacal unicorn mascot running the show. I find it almost a disservice to the film to get more in-depth than I need to, because I believe the best way to approach this film is as blind and caught off guard as possible (much like many of Kelly's other works), however this film was too much to not sing some praises about. The film stars Christin Milioti, a mother who finds herself confused and horrified at a mystery she seems to have no recollection of, just that something is missing in her life. Alongside Milioti in this colorful chaos is the children seemingly stuck in this never-ending children's show, Delaney Quinn as Freddy, Tristan Broders as Oliver, Seamus Flynn as Timothy, Caleb Williams as Wade and Madison Skyy Polan as Hannah. The film also stars Topher Grace, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt as Strappy the Backpack and Keegan Michael Key as Buddy the Unicorn.

Credit: Worry Well Productions

Christin Milioti is fantastic as always, but I would be remiss to point out that the performances from the child actors are exceedingly great, the standout being Delaney Quinn who delivers a heartbreaking amount of terror and anxiety as she and her friends try their best to escape the show. Of course I also can't continue this review without mentioning Keegan-Michael Key as Buddy the Unicorn, the tyrannical and psychotic star of 'It's Buddy', Key plays this role so creepily well. His voice never breaks from the overly animated cartoon dialect one would expect an orange unicorn mascot to have, even when the words being said are undoubtably horrifying. He carries himself as a psychotic axe-wielding Barney the Dinosaur, and every moment of it is worth the price of admission.

The film's script, penned by both Casper Kelly and Jamie King, as twisted and darkly comedic as it is, does slump a bit in its second act. However, I adored the film's first act and its unbreaking commitment to the late 90s tv bit, as well as the films chaotic and exciting third act adorned with some unicorn self mutilation. Buddy's screenplay also leaves more questions than it gives answers to, which could be better or worse for audiences depending on who you ask. Personally I felt satisfied with the amount of lore given to the ongoings of this film, and while I would love a sequel (or prequel) exploring the film's potential lore, I also don't mind leaving it more abstract and subjective. The film's themes could be applied to a multitude of meanings and ideas, and I feel that’s what'll make this film the subject of some very interesting conversations when it gets a wider release.

One particular aspect of this film I adored was its production design. The set of 'It's Buddy' perfectly captures the 1999 children's cable show aesthetic. Even outside the fences of the show and the larger world of this make-believe land, it is so clearly a labor of love with its eye-catching landscapes, false walls, puppet creatures, the whole nine yards. This is all heightened by the film's cinematography, which changes based on what's real and what's part of the show, a fun detail that doesn't go unnoticed.

Another aspect that I appreciated was the film's violence. While not Terrifier level, it certainly doesn’t shy away from bloodshed and it most certainly doesn't discriminate by age. More on that, I adored the clashing visuals of viscera and gore splashing against the colorful cuteness of the children's tv set. I would describe it by asking you to imagine the set of Pee Wee's Playhouse adorned by makeup effects of a slasher flick, are you not entertained?

Overall, Casper Kelly's Buddy is an unhinged and twisted treat. It's in line with Kelly's previous work on a much larger scale: absurd, mean, bloody, silly and one of the most unique films I've seen in quite some time.

Buddy distribution plans are still under wraps, and as of now, no information has been given on when to expect a wide release both theatrically or digitally. However, we will be sure to update when we hear more on the films release plans.

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