Darby and the Dead

It's a light comedy about being a medium to the dead. Or the deados, as they call them in this movie. And seeing how it's a teen movie, this movie is covered in teenagers life problems and dilemmas. You know, all that identity searching quest in the midst of school activities. Only this time, add helping-ghosts-moving-on to the curriculum. The comedy part made the actual problem seem negligible. Where in the real world, not so much. But what do I know? I'm not a medium. Anyway, back to the movie. The plot was pretty solid, the acting was decent, the songs were on point. The family-drama part was pretty touching. It's a solid 6 if you ask me.

There are so many shows/movies/themes overlapping here that you'll be able to figure out exactly what's going to happen next. Protagonist, Darby, is likeable but flawed. Antagonist, Capri (Capricorn), is insecure & vapid.

Outcast vs. Popular, Mean Girls style. Complete with their own version of Aaron Samuels. There are also themes from Heathers (OG, I've never seen the new one), Bring It On, 10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That...Just about any other early 2000's movie you can think of including the TV show Ghost Whisperer.

But here's why I gave it an 8: it's supposed to be all of those movies. All of the clichés are obviously intentional, and the acting really isn't that bad. I even teared-up at one point, just a sweet moment between two characters that was unexpected.

Final advice: watch it with your teens if they're allowed to hear some swear words or watch it when you're laid up on the couch with a cold (like I am). It wasn't a bad way to spend a few hours.

This film certainly doesn't deserve this low rating. So, the lead is enigmatic to say the least. Great actress. So, it's like a teen film about girl that helps dead people oass over to the afterlife, although really focus is actually on her school life and how she come out of her shell. The story isn't amazing, but it runs along nicely. However, the dialogue is top notch.. I laughed out loud several times (I'm a 51 yr old guy) and the delivery of the plot, the filming, the pacing, was all excellent. I was actually very tired watching this but forced my eyes open because it was so engaging.

Now, don't believe it's masterpiece or a ground breaking piece of work, but I came here to review it because it is one of the best films of its type (teen drama/comedy). My guess is that any girl between ages of 14 to 22 will adore this film. Most other people should like it to if you want a fun film, humour and a sweet story. I enjoyed every second of this film. PS. It's not a horror, not scary at all, and the ghost aspect is not really the pont or focus (and anyway, the ghosts aren't scary type, just like pleasant people who haven't passed over to the afterlife). I recommend it if you're looking for an engaging film you don't have to reflect on or think about too much, with some moderate humour.

In case it wasn't already clear, it needs to be concretely emphasized that this is a teen comedy. Yes, teen comedies still exist, though they mostly tend to become invisible for anyone past their early twenties. (Disclaimer: As I write this I'm in my late thirties, and I am NOT in the target audience for this movie.) Those two words readily inform much about the tenor of 'Darby and the dead,' with the rest coming to light with the basic premise that our protagonist, well, talks to the dead. We get flashy special effects and (somewhat excessive) overlaid graphics, contemporary teen humor, and high school drama and social dynamics, all flavoring a story about personal growth, learning to see the good in other people, breaking out of one's shell and rediscovering ourselves, finding balance, and the like. With all this in mind the supernatural angle is almost superfluous - and it's safe to say we've seen this film before, many times. Yet for any kitsch, excess, or imperfections, even for someone like me this is modestly enjoyable.

Whatever else one might say about this, I don't think there's any arguing that's it's very well made. If anything it's overproduced, too slick and shiny for its own good, but even at that, Ante Cheng's cinematography is tight and fluid, as is Kate Hickey's editing and Silas Howard's direction. The production design, art direction, costume design (warning: the 90s are described as "retro"), and hair and makeup work are terrific, and the selected soundtrack is actually pretty fun. The writing is more of a mixed bag - better than not, and fine in the broad strokes, though in the details things become a little more flawed.

The characterizations feel a bit off; Darby is primed to be the loner goth girl, but supporting character Piper carries more of that vibe. It's clear that there's depth and complexity to characters - Piper again being a prime example; in my opinion she has some of the best lines - that just isn't brought out in the screenplay. The themes that underlie the course of events never get as much focus as the drive to be cool, hip, and relevant and appealing to Mx. Young Teen 2022. And to that point, the picture is rather imbalanced at large. The constant narration of the main character, and further frequent instances of directly addressing the camera, becomes overbearing. I already said as much, but the "dead people" bit is decidedly minimized compared to the comedy and drama of teen life; case in point, Gary is set up to be a major supporting character, with lots of background and wisdom, but is mostly just stuck in the background. At that, 'Darby and the dead' is so lighthearted that it sometimes feels like little more than fluff. It has heart, but it's a heart that beats softly, and there's no real bite.

I'm personally inclined to think that the chief strength of 'Darby and the dead' is its cast. I'm not familiar with everyone here, but it's a genuine pleasure to see Tony Danza and Wayne Knight; I've not seen Nicole Maines in a lot to date but I adore her - and I wish all their roles had more substance, for even with what little we see of them they make the most of their time on-screen. Riele Downs demonstrates commendable range in the lead role, though if I'm being honest she's upstaged by Auli'i Cravalho, whose portrayal of Carpi allows her to embrace a wild energy and varied emotions well outpacing the protagonist. I highlight these few, but everyone else appearing here is just as swell, doing the most to make this feature as enjoyable as it is. I dare say that this would have been improved if writers Wenonah Wilms and Becca Greene had found a way to make it more closely centered just on the characters, without all the flourishes and stylization.

When all is said and done there aren't actually any surprises here; if one watches a trailer then they've gained a firm sense of the film, and even just reading the premise says a lot. Since this is a teen comedy more than anything else, how much you'll like this depends mostly on how much you enjoy that genre, and perhaps as a corollary, how much you can identify with teens in 2022. Even with that in mind, I'd probably appreciate it more if the writing were more mindful and even-handed, and made better use of the cast. All the same, 'Darby and the dead' is suitably well made that even the average viewer could probably find it modestly entertaining. Recommended chiefly for fans of the cast, this isn't essential by any means, but alright if you're looking for something to watch that doesn't require active engagement.

First of all, when I first watched the official trailer of the movie I kinda liked it, even though I didn't had high expectations about it. Eventually, it was better than I had imagined and I enjoyed it. The plot of the movie was kinda interesting, but not innovative because there are many movies similar to this one (for example, "The Sixth Sense"). The storyline was well-written and well-explained, but it was simple and easy to understand. The filming location of the movie (Cape Town, South Africa) was magical and I really liked it. Also, the casting of the movie was nice and their performances were descent. It wasn't a scary movie, of course and it wasn't intense, either. However, it was kinda funny and there were some satirical jokes during the movie. The opening scene was promising and enjoyable. The ending scene was definitely predictable, however I still liked it. Moreover, the cinematography and the score of the movie were both very well done and I really liked the movie's aesthetic. Overall, "Darby and the Dead" was an enjoyable teen film, funny and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.