TheDead Boy Detectivesare off to a solid start. The Netflix series, developed by Steve Yockey from characters found in Neil Gaiman’s iconic DC novelsThe Sandman, has amassed critical praise. The series landed on the streamer on April 25.
Dead Boy Detectivesfollows two dead teenage detectives, Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri). Born decades apart, Edwin and Charles find each other only in death, and the two ghosts become best friends who work together to solve supernatural mysteries. With the help of a clairvoyant named Crystal (Kassius Nelson) and her friend Niko (Yuyu Kitamura), they are able to crack some of the mortal realm’s most mystifying paranormal cases.
Dead Boy DetectivesexpandsThe Sandmanuniverse on Netflix.The Sandman, starring Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, and Patton Oswalt, premiered on the streamer in 2022 and has gained critical praise and a second season order. As it turns out, though,Dead Boy Detectivesis faring even better with critics thanThe Sandman. WhileThe Sandmancarries an impressive 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes,Dead Boy Detectivescurrently boasts a 90% rating (from 30 reviews). The supernatural horror-comedy is getting high marks for its fun plot, sharp dialogue, and exploration of teenage emotions.
The series evokes nostalgia for adults who can relate to the characters' teenage angst, but according to reviews, it offers much more than that.The Hollywood Reporter’s Angie Han writes:
…despite its gloomy-sounding premise, Dead Boy Detectives is the furthest thing from dour. Dark, sure; bittersweet, sometimes. But it’s never less than entertaining, thanks to an appealingly quirky lead cast and a cheeky sense of humor."
Dead Boy Detectives
Based on the DC series, Dead Boy Detectives is a supernatural comedy-mystery series created for Netflix. Two young men from different find one another in death but decide to skip the afterlife and remain among the living with a new purpose - to solve various supernatural mysteries the way only two deceased detectives can.
Dead Boy Detectives Stars Felt ‘Love at First Sight’ and Did Some Strange Method Acting
George Rextsrew and Jayden Revri reveal their strange method of developing their Dead Boy Detectives characters.
MovieWeb’s Greg Archerwrites that Dead Boy Detectives is like if “Buffy the VampireSlayerandSupernaturalclimbed into bed with each other and spawned.” And that, Archer says, is a good thing.
Likening the series to two of the most popular supernaturally-driven young adult shows in television history seems appropriate, asConsequence’s Liz Shannon Miller says the series “shows us a new and improved evolution on the old CW brand.” The result is something “unapologetically queer, funny, sad, and engaging (with the added bonus of visual effects that feel like a definite step up).” Well-developed characters are a highlight for critics, who feel drawn, and invested in, Edwin and Charles. According to series creator Yockey,Dead Boy Detectivesis a queer show, but he wanted the series to focus on much more than the characters' sexual preferences or gender identities.During a preview screeningof the show’s first episode and a Q+A panel, Yockey shared:
“It’s not just, ‘this character is gay and therefore their storyline is gay.’ That’s not interesting to anybody that’s involved. It’s a piece of the different characters.” “We found lots of different ways in, through lots of different avenues for the topics of sexuality and sexual identity.”
All eight episodes ofDead Boy DetectivesSeason 1 are now streaming on Netflix.
