Darby and the Dead is the kind of juvenile comedy whose conclusion is easy to predict. Despite having an intriguing premise, the Hulu movie fails because of its overuse of clichés and predictability. According to the movie’s Ready Steady Cut review:
In many respects, Darby Harper is your typical high school outcast. She mocks her fellow students’ lack of sophistication and despises the popular cheerleaders, notably the Queen Bee who was formerly her best friend. She takes satisfaction in the fact that she doesn’t fit in, not realizing that this makes her just as prejudiced as the cliquish girls at her school. Darby is unique in one key regard, though: she has the ability to communicate with the dead.
Apart from the frequent swearing, Riele Downs and Auli’i Cravalho are able to salvage solid performances in this movie that appears to have been filmed for the Disney Channel.
Darby and the Dead ending explained – will Capri pass over to the afterlife?
When Capri’s birthday party rolls around, Darby and Capri are already at odds because Capri, along with the rest of the school, believes incorrectly that Darby is dating her ex-boyfriend. James pretends that he and Darby are dating when he returns to high school, perhaps just because she is the person he has seen when she has dropped off his papers. Capri announces her presence at the gathering by communicating with James using a Ouija board and threatening to further humiliate Darby if she doesn’t tell everyone the truth. However, after revealing her talents, Darby is once more branded a freak.
When Capri arrives to offer her condolences for her inappropriate behavior, she discloses that she has located Darby’s mother, who hasn’t genuinely gone on. Darby’s mother, who has been longing to see her daughter happy, is momentarily reunited with her. Capri and Darby’s mother are allowed to pass on to the afterlife after feeling fulfilled by their assignments.
Darby decides to stay on the cheerleading squad and seeks a friendship, but not a romantic relationship, with Capri’s ex-boyfriend James. She learns that Gary’s wife is on the verge of passing away and that they will soon be able to reunite. The most stunning revelation is that Darby’s crush Alex, who had his own near-death experience the year before, also has the capacity to see and communicate with the dead. The two become close and decide to continue their relationship because they have finally found someone who gets them.
At the very end of the movie, a flash forward reveals that Darby and Alex are still dating and spend their Fridays working together to help the deceased complete their tasks on earth and pass on. Darby has discovered how to value her unique talent while yet managing to maintain a social life. Her interactions with Capri have taught her to be more welcoming and less judgmental of her peers.
The conclusion is precisely what you would anticipate from this kind of high school comedy. Without any significant shocks or desire to deviate from its pattern, it elegantly ties everything together.
