**"Buddy" (2026), Casper Kelly’s horror-comedy slasher inverting the wholesome “It’s Buddy!” children’s unicorn show into a bloody, satirical nightmare, premiered at Sundance in January 2026 and quickly built strong early critic support.** The film’s 82–84% Rotten Tomatoes score (based on 31–34 reviews) reflects praise for its deranged tone, nostalgic subversion, and gory absurdity from outlets like Variety and RogerEbert.com, though Metacritic’s 64/100 and some mixed notices highlight its one-joke premise and uneven scares. Director Kelly’s cult reputation from “Too Many Cooks” and stars like Cristin Milioti and Topher Grace have fueled positive industry buzz. With wide release set for August 28, additional reviews could nudge the final tally, but the current consensus and limited outright pans position the market-implied odds toward a solidly Fresh outcome above 70%. Traders are watching for any late review shifts or audience sentiment post-release that might alter the locked score.