Darby And The Dead Apr 2026

The film’s strength lies in its lead performances and modern perspective: Darby and the Dead Movie Review | Common Sense Media

To pull it off, the introverted Darby must undergo a "mean girl" makeover, infiltrating Capri’s elite clique and reinventing herself in the process. Cast and Creative Highlights Darby and the Dead

High school is often described as a nightmare, but for Darby Harper , it’s literally haunting. In the Hulu original film , director Silas Howard delivers a vibrant, genre-bending comedy that mashes up the sharp social commentary of Mean Girls with the supernatural stakes of The Sixth Sense . The Premise: A Side Hustle for the Soul The film’s strength lies in its lead performances

Living for the Afterlife: Why ‘Darby and the Dead’ Is the Supernatural Teen Satire You Need The Premise: A Side Hustle for the Soul

The status quo is shattered when Capri (Auli'i Cravalho), the school’s most popular and narcissistic cheerleader, dies in a freak hair-straightening accident. Even in death, Capri refused to be ignored. She "haunts" Darby, demanding that her "Sweet 17" birthday bash proceed as planned—a memorial event she believes is necessary for her to move on.

Darby Harper (Riele Downs) isn't your average high school junior. After a near-death experience as a child, she gained the ability to see and communicate with ghosts—or "deados," as she calls them. Rather than fearing her gift, she’s turned it into a spiritual side hustle, helping lingering souls finish their earthly business so they can finally cross over.

This "spiritual social worker" status has made Darby a self-imposed outcast, preferring the company of the dead to the judgmental halls of Frederick Douglass High. The Conflict: When the Queen Bee Dies