“Buddy” and Analogue Horror
Upon first watch, Buddy feels like it should have been aired on Adult Swim at four in the morning.

Jordan David Lifshitz (born October 13, 1992) is an American film producer. He is better known for producing films like Becky, Companion, Barbarian, and Woman of the Hour. He is also the co-founder of BoulderLight Pictures, a production company. Description above from the Wikipedia article J. D. Lifshitz, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Upon first watch, Buddy feels like it should have been aired on Adult Swim at four in the morning.
"THANK YOU, Zach Creggar!" Back in 2022, this now established star in the horror film genre gave us the quirkily creepy, unexpectedly funny (at times!) cinematic gem that was "Barbarian". It felt like a cool breeze just washed over us as, for ONCE, the much traversed roads these films tend to go with got an upgrade of uniqueness without sacrificing the ambiance of uneasiness you desire.
For those tranquil houses with white fences, what is happening behind every closed door?
At 2:17 a.m., every child in a third-grade class wakes up, leaves their home, and disappears into the darkness—except one. The next day, teacher Justine Gandy discovers that Alex Lily is the only student left, while the rest have vanished without a trace. Did Justine have something to do with it, or is a far more sinister force stalking the town, targeting not just children, but anyone in its path?
'Barbarian' is horror infused with something ridiculous that makes the whole thing entertaining.
If you mix religious rituals with dark mythology, the result will be effective, and the story powerful in 90% of the cases. That is exactly what happens at the beginning of The Vigil.