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Darby and the Dead

Play trailer Poster for Darby and the Dead PG-13 2022 1h 41m Comedy Drama Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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56% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
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.
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Darby and the Dead

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Critics Consensus

Darby and the Dead's intriguing premise and appealing cast elevate it above standard teen comedy fare, even if the end result is often frustratingly shallow.

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Critics Reviews

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Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News Darby and the Dead is no game-changer but it is thoroughly enjoyable and energetic. Rated: 3/4 Dec 8, 2022 Full Review Lovia Gyarkye The Hollywood Reporter With a refreshingly diverse cast and a compelling premise, there’s a lot to appreciate about Darby and the Dead — even with its muddied execution. Dec 5, 2022 Full Review Jude Dry indieWire Darby and the Dead mashes up a host of YA movie tropes into a snappy but ultimately forgettable ride. Rated: C Dec 2, 2022 Full Review Carla Hay Culture Mix The cringeworthy comedy Darby and the Dead is as fresh and funny as a rotting corpse. This dreadful dud relentlessly insults its characters and viewers, as it clumsily rips off ideas from better movies. Jan 2, 2023 Full Review Rachel Wagner Rachel's Reviews (YouTube) Well written and acted teen supernatural story. Riele Downs and Auli'i Cravalho are excellent Dec 31, 2022 Full Review Sean P. Means The Movie Cricket With rare exceptions, movie studios usually call it right when they debut a movie on streaming instead of theaters — and that’s the case with “Darby and the Dead,” a teen comedy that’s not quite as fun as its premise. Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 11, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Abi A For a ghost established that it cannot see her reflection in mirrors, for sure you can see her shadow in the sand or ground. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/28/23 Full Review LM This is literally the perfect coming of age movie! I wish I had watched it sooner. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/23/23 Full Review Arima R This is really intriguing,thumbs up to the actors Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/17/23 Full Review Kyn R It was so cute! super good concept! And not to mention the ending is so CUTE!! I recommend you watch this. I thought it was going to be another cheesy ghost movie teen drama TRYING to be funny. NO, you feel as if you are growing with the main character, and I felt as if I was gaining confidence WITH the character. I related to how I felt in High School. It made me regret not joining any clubs of the cheer team. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/02/23 Full Review Liam D Despite an good cast, likeable main character and an interesting premise this doesn't elevate above other teen comedies to make it a disappointment Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Ashleigh C The film was good but there was parts you just knew were coming… and why did they do Darbys wig like that when she has such nice hair??? Really annoyed me throughout the film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
Silas Howard
Producer
Eddie Rubin, Adam Saunders, Sarah Shepard
Screenwriter
Becca Greene
Production Co
Footprint Features, 20th Century Studios
Rating
PG-13 (Some Teen Partying|Suggestive Material|Strong Language)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 2, 2022
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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