The supernatural teen comedy movie “Darby and the Dead” is available on Hulu and was directed by Silas Howard (“A Kid Like Jake”). The story centres on Darby Harper (Riele Downs), who experiences a near-death experience and emerges with the power to see the dead. When Darby’s mother dies in the same catastrophe, she withdraws and prefers the company of the dead to that of the living.
When Capri (Aulii Cravalho), the most popular girl at Darby’s high school, dies in an odd accident and needs Darby’s assistance to pass to the other side, things start to alter. This requires Darby to become a popular girl herself and make sure Capri’s “Sweet 17” party happens, which is easier said than done. Here is everything you need to know about “Darby and the Dead’s” conclusion. Spoilers follow.
Darby and the Dead Plot Synopsis
Darby aspired to be a cheerleader like her mother, who attended the nationals, when she was much younger. But tragedy struck, and while enjoying some time at the beach with her daughter, Darby’s mother was murdered by a rogue wave. Darby came very close to passing away as well. She can now see the dead thanks to this experience. Since then, she has been assisting the deceased—whom she refers to as the Deados—in completing their tasks in the world of the living and progressing to the next level. Unfortunately, this has made her unpopular with her peers, who perceive her as fairly unconventional despite using much harsher words.
At Frederick Douglass High, Capri is the head cheerleader and unquestionably the most well-liked student. She and Darby were friends when they were younger, but after the loss of Darby’s mother, she largely withdrew from society. This includes cheerleading, the sport that the two girls were involved in together. Their relationship has evolved into something of an adversarial one over time. Currently, Gary (Tony Danza), the late groundskeeper of the school who has chosen to live in the mortal world as a Stayer until his wife passes, is the only friend Darby has.
The narrative is launched by the conflict between the two girls. Capri perishes in a strange hair straightener accident as they are having a disagreement. After finding out about Darby’s unique talent, she goes to see the other girl. Darby is not unwilling to assist Capri, but her conditions are a little excessive. Capri was planning a “Sweet 17” celebration for herself just before she passed away. She wants Darby to make sure the party still goes on, which necessitates that she make friends with Capri’s three friends, with whom she shares the same hostile connection as Capri. She will have to resume cheerleading as a result.
Darby and the Dead Ending: Does Capri Cross to the Other Side?
Capri demands Darby’s assistance in returning to the living world as one of the first things she says to her after dying, and Darby has to explain to her that she is unable to do so. After being let down, Capri requests that Darby restart the celebration. Darby first resists, but eventually caves.
Darby shared her mother’s extraordinary gift for cheerleading, but as was already said, she hasn’t picked up the pom-poms since her mother passed away. She immediately improves with Capri’s assistance and begins cheering with the school’s cheerleading squad. She rejoins Capri’s old gang as well.
Capri doesn’t see anything wrong with Darby integrating into what was her own life because this is precisely what she wants. But when Darby begins to show interest in James, Capri’s mourning boyfriend, things get complicated. James, an ambitious singer, once applied to be a competitor on “The Voice,” but he was unsuccessful in moving past the blind audition stage. Since his debut on “The Voice,” he and Capri had been dating, and her passing has hurt him to the core.
James feels pulled to Darby when she brings the school notes to his house, which makes Darby uncomfortable. She truly likes Alex, the new student at the school. She arrives at school with James, but soon whispers begin to circulate. Capri snaps when she learns about it. The dead, if they concentrate enough, can manipulate tangible objects. Capri develops her skills and gets terrifyingly adept at them, just as Darby gets better at cheerleading. She even coerces Darby into admitting that she has the ability to see the dead at the party.
The pupils look for “logical” explanations for what they saw, despite the fact that they were looking at a floating Ouija board, and Darby once more becomes unpopular at her school. She doesn’t even have the Deados on her side this time because she left them behind in her quest for fame.
Capri moves on to the next phase after Darby and Capri reunite, but not before giving the other girl a priceless present.
Does Darby See Her Mother Again?
Darby didn’t perceive her mother as a ghost, despite the fact that she developed her ability during the same incident that took her mother’s life; this likely led her to believe that her mother had already moved on to the next stage and didn’t believe she had any unfinished business in the mortal world. Darby never expresses it, but it is clear that she is moved by the idea, and she undoubtedly wonders why her mother wouldn’t want to say anything final to her.
Capri tells Darby that she has done some asking around toward the end of the movie, right before she goes on. Then Darby’s mother arrives out of nowhere in her room. She acknowledges that she has been present throughout. Darby’s mother made an effort to move on but was unable to since she could tell that her daughter was in grave danger. She wanted Darby to experience life somewhat normally and have living pals. She can go on now that her daughter has those things.
Can Alex Speak to the Dead Like Darby?
Though it takes Darby some time to realise it, Alex shows from the minute he arrives at school that he has an even more unconventional attitude than Darby. At one point in the movie, Gary introduces Darby to his recently deceased friend Mel (Wayne Knight). Due to the many things going on in her life, Darby neglects her work for the dead despite Mel’s request for her assistance in telling his son that he loves both him and his husband.
Gary tells Darby toward the end of the movie that while she didn’t assist Mel, Alex did. At this point, Alex appears and explains that he shares Darby’s talent. The year before, a tragic vehicle accident left him in a coma. He made friends with the person in the bed next to him after waking up only to learn that he had passed away two days before.
In contrast to Darby, Alex struggled to conceal his talent. It was explained to him in treatment that it was a schizophrenic hallucination. His parents removed him from school because they were afraid.
On his first day at Frederick Douglass High, Alex saw that Darby was similar to him after hearing her talking to Gary. He came to the realisation that he isn’t alone and that he doesn’t have to downplay his unique talent. By the time the movie is over, Darby is still a member of the cheerleading squad and has pals who are both alive and dead. She also has a special someone who completely understands what it’s like to be her.
In addition to being the main character, Darby also tells the story and frequently breaks the fourth wall by speaking straight to the audience. It turns out Alex possesses that power too, as she reveals in her closing monologue to the audience.
