‘Darby And The Dead’ Review – Mean Girls Meets Beetlejuice Sort Of Works

Director: Silas Howard

Starring: Riele Downs, Auli’i Cravalho, Chosen Jacobs, Asher Angel, Wayne Knight, Derek Luke, Tony Danza

Plot Summary: After suffering a near-death experience as a young girl, Darby Harper (Riele Downs) gains the ability to see dead people. As a result, she becomes introverted and shut off from her high school peers and prefers to spend time counseling lonely spirits who have unfinished business on earth. But all that changes when Capri (Auli’i Cravalho), the Queen Bee of the school’s most exclusive clique, unexpectedly dies in a freak hair straightening accident, resulting in the obvious cancellation of her upcoming “Sweet 17.” Capri, however, pleads with Darby from the other side to intervene and convince Capri’s friends to proceed with the party as planned. In order to appease the wrath of the undead diva, Darby must emerge from her self-imposed exile and reinvent herself — which along the way, allows her to find new joy back in the land of the living.

Silas Howard’s, Darby and the Dead, feels like a mixture of Mean Girls, Beetlejuice and a dash of Disney’s glossy version of high school. Does it work? Sort of. This movie has its issues, but it also has its fair share of endearing qualities. Not to mention, a trans person is at the helm of this project which is an amazing and encouraging aspect of the production. Howard is an interesting choice, having previous credits like Pose, Transparent and Dickinson. He clearly knows how to make a lean, fast paced film that wears its above mentioned influences on its sleeve.

Darby and the Dead has a nice biting sense of humor which doesn’t always land but has more hits than misses. The cast crackles with up-and-coming actors getting to showcase their talents. This diverse cast is headed by Riele Downs who plays the titular Darby. The major emotional centerpiece is Downs, and thankfully, she does a fine job. She clearly connects with Darby and finds a meaningful way of conveying the film’s central themes which helps the audience engage with her and the story. The supporting cast including Auli’i Cravalho, Chosen Jacobs, Asher Angel and Derek Luke are also very solid. It is always nice to see veterans like Tony Danza and Wayne Knight being introduced to a new generation. Darby and the Dead has some nice gags and physical comedy.

Yes, the movie is awesome for having a trans director, a female writer, and a very diverse main cast, but it was still lacking in substance. Darby and the Dead really struggles to find its own voice. This is a very paint-by-number straight to streaming offering. You will no doubt be able to guess exactly how the plot will unfold and, even though there are some nice twists, it never strays very far from the teen movie formula.

While the movie does have some clever worldbuilding, it could have been more refined. This is disappointing because the core premise is flexible enough to play around with expectations. It also has its share of plot conveniences and plot holes. Still, it is engaging and enjoyable throughout and has a clear enough plotline and enough depth to hit the sweet spot for a younger viewer. It could be a nice starter horror movie for teens and tweens since the horror elements of the film are not too intense.

Darby and the Dead has solid director at the helm and a stellar cast of fresh up and coming stars. Aside from a few minor flaws, it is never boring. It is enjoyable enough for what it is–a direct-to-streaming offering that is a nice way to pass some time.

Darby and the Dead will be debut on Hulu on December 2, 2022. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B34KREZ-r0E]