A new R-rated horror film is sparking alarm after parents repeatedly brought young children to screenings, apparently mistaking the violent slasher for family entertainment.
Buddy, a surreal horror-comedy about a murderous children’s television mascot, has drawn kids as young as eight into theaters despite its disturbing content. The film centers on a group of children trapped inside a 1990s TV show hosted by Buddy, a giant orange unicorn whose cheerful exterior conceals a malevolent creature that kidnaps and murders children.
The confusion has played out across multiple screenings, according to reports shared on Reddit. One theater employee claimed: “Saw a lot of kids in my auditorium last night, some younger than 8.”
Another person wrote on the platform: “There were so many kids in my showing for Buddy. What the heck is that about!”
The film’s marketing may be contributing to the misunderstanding. Its poster features the smiling orange unicorn staring through a static-filled television screen, reflecting the movie’s children’s-show aesthetic without immediately signaling its horror elements.
The situation has prompted heated debate among theater workers and moviegoers about how parents are making the error. One theater employee commented on the Reddit thread that they witnessed a mother complain the situation was the theater’s fault, despite the movie’s clear R rating and violent content.
“Parents should do their research,” the employee wrote.
Another commenter drew a sharp distinction between this film and another horror franchise with younger fans, writing: “Buddy is not Five Nights at Freddy’s – your kids aren’t making friends with the scary unicorn.”
Loosely inspired by the classic children’s character Barney, Buddy deliberately exploits the contrast between familiar kids’ television imagery and graphic violence. The movie was written and directed by Casper Kelly and stars Cristin Milioti and Topher Grace, with Keegan-Michael Key providing the voice of the titular unicorn.
Howard Cohen, head and co-founder of Roadside Attractions, told IndieWire that the filmmakers understood the movie’s unusual approach carried significant risk. “It was specifically the risk of content, its extreme originality, provocative structure, and themes,” Cohen said.
Despite the audience confusion, Buddy is emerging as an unexpected commercial success. The movie opened with $5.36 million last weekend, more than twice its early box office projections, and is set to expand into additional theaters this coming weekend.
The outlet described the film as a horror-comedy that transforms its cheerful central character into a deeply disturbing figure, while IndieWire praised the movie for feeling fresh and genuinely shocking.
Buddy arrives amid a broader horror boom at the 2026 box office. Obsession, from Curry Barker, has reportedly made $505 million from a $1 million budget, while Backrooms has taken in $395 million. Other notable horror releases this year include Scream 7, The Mummy from Lee Cronin, Insidious: Out of the Further, and Send Help.
Roadside Attractions plans to expand Buddy into more theaters this weekend.