Darby and the Dead

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.

Initially when I sat down to watch the 2022 movie "Darby and the Dead", then I didn't know what I was in for here, aside from it being a fantasy comedy of sorts that involved someone being able to see and talk to the dead. And yeah, that sounded interesting enough.

However, writer Becca Greene churned out a script and a storyline that fell short of entertaining me. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not sayin that "Darby and the Dead" was a bad or boring movie, it was definitely alright, but it just didn't appeal to me. It felt like the movie was aiming at a younger audience and a female audience, so I fell short on both accounts there. So there wasn't much enjoyment in the storyline for me.

The acting performances in "Darby and the Dead" was good. I was for the most parts unfamiliar with the cast ensemble in the movie, aside from actors Wayne Knight and Tony Danza. Leading actress Riele Downs definitely put on a good performance to carry the movie.

I am sure that there is a big audience out there for a movie such as "Darby and the Dead", I just wasn't a part of that target audience.

My rating of director Silas Howard's 2022 movie "Darby and the Dead" lands on a four out of ten stars.

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.

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.

Fun movie with a few flaws but they do not detract too much from the overall "goodness" of it.

For instance Capri once dead basically learn the "Swayze" in a day... You would think that in the movie's world there would be some form of Ghostbusters or something as the dead can interact pretty easily and fast with the living but no... Nobody really believe in ghost so you kinda get the feeling Capri is the only one really using her "powers". Wasted opportunity there.

The other thing is the other main character, Darby, is basically just as hot before her relooking. Its even worst than "She's all that" trope of remove the ponytail and glasses and you jump from an awkward nerd to a hot babe. And yes i permit myself to say "hot babe" as both main actresses (and supporting cast) are in their 20s even tough they portray teenagers suposed to be what... 15? Another trope you often see in movies of this style.

But like i said, these few "flaws" didn't detract me too much from enjoying what is overall a nice movie. Its a bit similar to Afterlife of the Party wich came in 2021 with Victoria Justice mixed with Ghost Whisperer but different enough to be its own thing.

Normally i am the first to say those "mini-shows" of 8-10 episodes are getting annoying (i miss the 22 episodes formula) and i would rather take a movie if its just one big arc but in the case of this movie i have a feeling it would had really benefited from being a show. Fleshing out more of the characters, extending the main idea and having maybe a few subplots for side characters. I just felt things moved a bit too fast. But maybe i am just over analyzing what is simply supose to be a teen comedy without any pretention.