Dead Boy Detectives – Netflix Series Review

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES on Netflix is a new series that takes place in THE SANDMAN universe. A supernatural genre hybrid with lots of humor and horror. Season 1 has eight episodes. Read our Dead Boy Detectives series review here!

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES is a new Netflix series with a supernatural plot and a genre hybrid approach. It’s action, adventure, horror, comedy, and a whole lot of mystery. Also, it takes place in the same universe as The Sandman. A character from that series appears from the very first episode.

The genre hybrid series about two ghosts running a detective agency has eight episodes. If you like the style of The Sandman and other graphic novel-based live-action series, you should definitely give this one a chance. Charming, funny, and decidedly dark with quirky and intriguing characters.

Continue reading our Dead Boy Detectives series review below. On Netflix from April 25, 2024.

Ghosts helping ghosts

In Dead Boy Detectives, we meet Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri). They are “the brains” and “the brawn” of the Dead Boy Detectives agency. So, if you’re a ghost and have issues with another ghost or a demon, who stole your core memories, they’re your guys.

Sure, Edwin and Charles are mere teenagers and they’re (clearly!) born decades apart. Still, they have a gift and want to use it. Having found each other in death, the two are now best friends and colleagues. They solve mysteries that exist somewhere between life and death. Just like them!

Also, they really should have moved on, so Death (the character from The Sandman series) is looking for them. You really aren’t supposed to stick around as a ghost for as long as these two have.

Very entertaining supporting characters

Each episode of Dead Boy Detectives focuses on a separate case, while the series also has a core mystery and plot to deal with. Not unlike any good anthology that has separate short stories as well as a solid wrap-around story. Actually, sometimes the wrap-around story can be the best thing.

For Dead Boy Detectives, the two main characters are good, but the supporting characters are often more entertaining. This especially goes for the evil witch, Esther, portrayed perfectly by Jenn Lyon. I loved every moment with this character and almost wished for her to get a spin-off.

Also, the two dead boys are helped by two girls. Two living girls. One is a clairvoyant named Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson) and the other is Niko (Yuyu Kitamura). The latter needs help herself and is later able to see ghosts, so now the dead boys have two living girls who can help them.

The series also stars Briana Cuoco, Lukas Gage, David Iacono, and Ruth Connell. Every single one of them has a cool character!

Watch season 1 of Dead Boy Detectives on Netflix!

As already mentioned a few times, Dead Boy Detectives is a part of The Sandman Universe for Netflix. The series is based on the beloved comic series by Neil Gaiman and was developed for television by Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant).

Beth Schwartz (Sweet Tooth) and Steve Jockey are also co-showrunners on the series which is executively produced by Greg Berlanti (You), Jeremy Carver (Supernatural), and Sarah Schechter (The Flight Attendant).

While it’s fun and cute, do not be fooled into thinking it isn’t also horror. The are some truly dark moments in this story. Like the fact that one of the dead boys spent decades in Hell already. Obviously, this detail makes for some darker moments during flashbacks.

Overall, this Netflix series is a wonderful supernatural genre hybrid that has humor, heart, and horror. It’s also silly in ways that may not be for everyone, so give it a shot and see if it’s your kind of thing. I enjoyed it and could do with a season 2, but I want The Sandman season 2 much more!

Dead Boy Detectives is on Netflix from April 25, 2024.

Details

Showrunners: Steve Yockey & Beth Schwartz
Directors: Glen Winter, Andi Armaganian, Pete Chatmon, Lee Toland Krieger, Richard Speight Jr., Amanda Tapping
Cast: George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri, Kassius Nelson, Jenn Lyon, Briana Cuoco, Ruth Connell, Yuyu Kitamura, Lukas Gage, David Iacono