Darby and the Dead

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Darby and the Dead

PG-13

2022

1h 40m

Comedy

Drama

Fantasy

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Popcornmeter

56%

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25 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

100+ 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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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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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Dec 8, 2022

3/4

Darby and the Dead is no game-changer but it is thoroughly enjoyable and energetic.

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Lovia Gyarkye

The Hollywood Reporter

Dec 5, 2022

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.

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Jude Dry

IndieWire

Dec 2, 2022

C

Darby and the Dead mashes up a host of YA movie tropes into a snappy but ultimately forgettable ride.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Jan 2, 2023

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.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Dec 31, 2022

Well written and acted teen supernatural story. Riele Downs and Auli'i Cravalho are excellent

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Sean P. Means

The Movie Cricket

Dec 11, 2022

2.5/4

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.

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Roven B

@cinnephile.01 Jul 1, 2026

could've been better but was still really great. loved seeing ex-Disney and Nick stars on screen again

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Abi A

@WasAbiel Jul 28, 2023

For a ghost established that it cannot see her reflection in mirrors, for sure you can see her shadow in the sand or ground.

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LM

@RT98289157 May 23, 2023

This is literally the perfect coming of age movie! I wish I had watched it sooner.

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Peter P

@RT28879933 Jan 1, 2023

Riele Dawns gives a charismatic lead and her friend gives the necessary energy. Mostly fun with some bite, though it's end is rather corny.

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mirza m

@mirzabaig890 Dec 8, 2022

'Darby and the Dead' is a mostly fun teen comedy that embraces its quirky and whimsical sides to winning effect.

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janie v

@RT66015691 Dec 5, 2022

SPOILERS******** Darby is the subject of bullying, and the death of her bully only amplifies the mistreatment as the ghost has figured out how to use her energy to physically mistreat Darby. Darby has very little self respect as she continuously gives in to her bully, even praising her after the bully forces Darby into embarrassing herself in front of everyone at a party. There's no redemptive trope for Capri, the bully, who just moves into the afterlife. And the character's dead mother has been around the entire time, hidden, and claims she couldn't move on until she knew her daughter was okay. Then where the heck were you when she was being bullied the entire movie?!?!?! This movie had promise but is clearly unable to keep one.

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Silas Howard

Director

Riele Downs

Darby Harper

Auli'i Cravalho

Capri

Chosen Jacobs

Alex

Asher Angel

James

Wayne Knight

Mel

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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 40m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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