2026 has been a monumental year for low-budget horror films. Movies like Obsession and Backrooms broke out in big ways earlier this year, and while some have been quick to categorize this as some miraculous confluence of various circumstances, the truth is that it’s the culmination of a long-gestating trend in modern cinema. Horror as a genre has a newfound resonance for many modern audiences, and bold filmmakers being given the chance to take audacious swings is increasingly what theater-going audiences, especially younger generations, are looking for.
Now, that line of thought is being proven valid once again, as yet another low-budget high-concept horror film is gaining traction and performing unexpectedly well: Casper Kelly’s Buddy.
Buddy is a film about a ‘90s children’s television show called “It’s Buddy!” which stars the central character of Buddy, a big orange unicorn, as voiced by Keegan-Michael Key. A significant chunk of the film’s runtime is spent with audiences watching the in-narrative children’s show, in which Buddy interacts with various other characters and children and slowly begins to reveal a more nefarious side of himself. Before long, Buddy is wielding an axe, and the R-rated horror film is showing off precisely why the movie itself is very much not made for children, with blood and guts flowing in equally copious amounts.
In its first weekend, on a limited number of screens, Buddy performed exceedingly well, breaking numerous records in the process. But now, in its second weekend, thanks to a slight expansion, it has grossed even more than it did in its debut. This is exceedingly uncommon, bringing to mind instant parallels to other rare cases such as Obsession or Terrifier 2.
The fact that Buddy is seeing an increase in revenue is also indicative of an increase in interest. In a very savvy move, there have been official clips of the film released online in the time since its release, which have since gone viral and fueled audiences’ interest. This is a page pulled straight from the Obsession playbook (which infamously released the now-iconic “I thought we were having a nice date” scene online just after premiere) and seems to be working in a similar way for Buddy. It has made the film a pillar of online discussion, and its virality has led to more people wanting to check Buddy out for themselves.
It will be fascinating to see what becomes of Buddy in the weeks to come and exactly how big Casper Kelly’s horror film is going to get.
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