‘Darby and the Dead’ Review: A Spirited Teen Comedy That’s a Little Lifeless

In “Darby and the Dead,” the promise of its premise outweighs the delivered product. Director Silas Howard demonstrates his deft capabilities bringing an energetic irreverence and aesthetic buoyancy to the unfurling feature, which is centered on a tormented teen cajoled into helping a recently deceased mean girl get a new life in the afterlife. Unfortunately, despite the film’s undeniable charms and strong lead performances, the fabric it weaves frays as it wears on, undone by clunky character development, trite sentimentality and rushed resolutions. High schooler Darby Harper (Riele Downs) sees dead people. But unlike Haley Joel Osment’s “Sixth Sense” character,… Read Full Article