Like many of Buddy’s critics, I immediately thought of Barney while watching the horror film. That automatically made me appreciate the film’s premise and fear it. My childhood enjoyment of similar shows to Buddy was now going to get a major horror twist. Nostalgia can be scary. Buddy was a horror movie more than worthy of your attention. It’s one of the most unsettling horror movies that I have seen in a while. It could potentially be the best one on the 2026 movie schedule, or at least in the top 10 of the year.The film made me uncomfortable from start to finish, and I think that’s what makes it’s such a fun horror film.Warning: Buddy spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.(Image credit: Roadside Attractions)Buddy Having Child Victims Automatically Made Me UncomfortableI love horror films. I have seen so many of them, and some have really disturbing content. However, nothing makes me more uncomfortable than seeing a child protagonist in horror films. It’s fiction, but seeing children murdered is something that terrifies me and instantly makes me worried about what’s going to transpire. When we meet Grace (Cristin Milioti), I expect her to become the new protagonist. This made me sigh in relief.She doesn’t last long in this world. It’s back to focusing on the children. Most of the children die, but Buddy manages to not fully traumatize me about that fact. It still makes me uncomfortable, but in a digestible way.(Image credit: Roadside Attractions)I Couldn't Predict What Would Happen Next, So I Was Prepared For Buddy To WinBuddy is one of those films that get more and more unhinged as it continues. That makes predicting what happens next nearly impossible. I didn’t know if Buddy would win or Freddy (Delaney Quinn) would survive. Thankfully, Freddy survived, but it was a stressful ride.It became even more stressful when everyone but her started to die. Some of the best horror movie franchises leave you in a constant state of worry. Buddy succeeds in this accomplishment. The film ends leaving you with many questions, so I wouldn’t mind a sequel. Therefore, it could actually join the horror movie franchises category and keep me guessing about what horror to expect next.(Image credit: Roadside Attractions)Buddy Was Both Nostalgic And Twisted, And I Couldn't Stop Thinking About ThatEven after Buddy ends, I didn’t feel a sense of peace. Freddy has now lost her mother and is subjected to so much trauma. We also don’t know exactly how everything with Buddy works. He could return one day to terrorize her and other defenseless children. Therefore, the idea of the movie remained in my head long after the credits.Additionally, Buddy does such a good job of being similar to classic children's shows of my childhood that it made me think about how weird everything was about them. Why were we just accepting a purple dinosaur as normal? Or puppets doing so much? What about the weird characters of Sesame Street? We didn’t ask enough questions, and Buddy makes me realize this.Buddy is one of those horror films that I think will age even better with rewatches and years. It’s a fascinating hit of nostalgia that’s also scary.