The adorable mascots dancing, waving their hands happily, and posing for pictures are often children’s favorites. But what if one of these bright and cheerful mascots is not what it appears to be? That is what sets off a dangerous, chaotic event in Buddy starring Cristin Milioti. Joining the impressive song of iconic cult-classic slasher movies, Buddy arrives with a twisted dark comedy and horror.

Apart from its sinister plot, the movie also features a star-studded cast showing some of their best performances. With plenty of hype surrounding the movie, where can fans watch Buddy?

The slasher movie Buddy is set to premiere on August 28, 2026. The film will initially be available exclusively in theaters. As of now, there is no official update on its digital or streaming release.

The movie initially premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received much appreciation. It follows a classic children’s television show, It's Buddy, hosted by a cheerful, bright-orange mascot named Buddy. The mascot encourages the kids to follow his instructions and participate in his games. 

However, when someone refuses to follow his rules and orders, Buddy transforms into a very different character. After a child mysteriously disappears, the children trapped inside his world realize the threat they are facing. That is when they attempt to escape to a safer place called the mythical Diamond City.

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While the children fight to escape Buddy’s sinister world, the movie’s talented cast brings its bizarre characters to life.

Buddy stars Keegan-Michael Key as he lends his voice to the titular mascot, Buddy. The movie's director Casper Kelly, who was fascinated by the film’s story, explained that he and Keegen-Michael Key worked hard to give a refreshing voice and personality to Buddy. Kelly added that Keegen-Michael Key's talent for changing his voice helped him in the process.

“[Key] can do so many voices. He was great in giving me a lot of options of very nice or one a little bit irritated, one a lot irritated, so in the edit, we had a lot of flexibility," he said, as per People. 

The movie stars Cristin Milioti as Grace, a woman who becomes intrigued by the children’s show It’s Buddy. The actress is best known for her role in How I Met Your Mother. She is joined by Topher Grace, who plays Grace’s husband. Buddy certainly takes a sinister spin that appears promising, but whether it could come close to the hit horror releases of this year is something that remains to be seen. 

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What do you think about Buddy? Let us know in the comments.