MOVIE NEWS – Cristin Milioti has been using the Sundance Film Festival to hint at what audiences can expect from her latest big-screen project, Casper Kelly’s horror film Buddy. For a long time, the plot was kept deliberately vague, described only as a “new experience” within a genre that has recently delivered titles like the record-breaking Sinners, two 28 Years Later films, and the body-warping Together.
According to Milioti, a performer many feel should already have a Golden Globe to her name, Buddy offered something notably “lighter” after the emotional weight of The Penguin and season seven of Black Mirror. Speaking to The Wrap about the film, which premiered at Sundance this week, the 40-year-old explained what drew her to the project.
“One of the main reasons I wanted to do this was that I was looking for something lighter, and this genuinely felt that way to me. It’s funny going through a full day of press hearing people say the movie is wild, while I kept thinking it felt light. Maybe I’m a little twisted, but to me it was moving and beautiful, even though terrible things happen. I’d never read anything like it.”
Set in 1999, Buddy follows a group of amnesiac children trapped inside a television show hosted by a humanoid unicorn voiced by Keegan-Michael Key. When the kids begin to rebel against their captor, the menacing Buddy banishes them to the mythical Diamond City, while a traumatized suburban mother named Grace, played by Milioti, is also pulled into the nightmare. The supporting cast includes Michael Shannon, Topher Grace, and Patton Oswalt.
The film has already generated strong buzz at Sundance, debuting with an 80 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with early reviews praising it as a work that “goes beyond gimmicks and familiar storytelling.” Its practical effects and instant cult potential are helping Buddy stand out, and Milioti’s enthusiasm only adds to the sense that this is one to keep an eye on.
Could Cristin Milioti Revisit Her Most Iconic Role?
When discussing the most defining performance of Milioti’s career to date, it is hard to overlook her portrayal of Gotham mob figure Sofia Falcone in HBO’s acclaimed series The Penguin. Spinning off from The Batman, the show followed Sofia’s release from Arkham State Hospital and her ruthless attempt to rise within the Falcone crime family after the murder of her father, Carmine, before ultimately being outplayed by Colin Farrell’s Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot and sent back to the institution.
Her commanding presence earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, yet despite on-screen references to her familial ties to Catwoman, director Matt Reeves has confirmed she will not appear in The Batman: Part II.
“Cristin isn’t in this one because we were already very deep into the script when the show came together. We’ll see what happens down the line, but at that point it would have disrupted the direction of the story we were exploring.”
If Sofia Falcone does not return even in cameo form, future projects such as The Penguin season two or The Batman: Part III could still provide an opportunity for Milioti to step back into the role.
Source: MovieWeb
