This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chance

EntertainmentTVFantasy ShowsDead Boy DetectivesThis canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chanceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentTVFantasy ShowsDead Boy DetectivesThis canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chanceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Netflix) Dead Boy Detectives, a fantasy series following two dead best friends who evade the afterlife in order to help spirits trapped amongst the living, hit Netflix earlier this year - and while the show received widespread critical acclaim and holds a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes…there’s a good chance you didn’t see it. The series, based on the comic book of the same name, was first announced as a new streaming show for Max - which was then, and still is, the streaming home for DC shows. The show was subsequently moved to Netflix after the streamer acquired the live-action adaptation of The Sandman - which made perfect sense, given that Dead Boy Detectives is technically a spin-off from The Sandman comics and is set in the same world. I was immediately nervous, however, asNetflix is known for quickly canceling fantasy shows- no matter how highly rated or how popular in views - and I had a sneaking feeling that the show wouldn’t last very long. I was right - and I’m still sad about it. Dead Boy Detectives follows Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew), the brains, and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), the brawn. Both were killed in different time periods - albeit in equally tragic ways - but found each other in death, and became best friends. Rather than go back to their eternal resting places, the pair decide to use their time on earth for good and open a detective agency for otherworldly matters. It’s here in the land of the living that they make two human friends, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson) and Niko (Yuyu Kitamura) - though it’s not without helping through their own paranormal situations. But it’s so much more than just a cutesy teen series with a gothic flare. Dead Boy Detectives isn’t afraid to delve into serious, traumatic situations - from child abuse to familicide, from revenge porn to surviving narcissistic abuse - and it does so in a way that teaches not only the characters (some of who admittedly can’t quite seem to wrap their heads around it at first), but the viewers at home who might not have any experience with or prior knowledge of these types of situations. (Image credit: Netflix) Sometimes, another streamer comes in and saves a canceled show - but that this is unlikely for Dead Boys (at least for the foreseeable future) given that Netflix has more or less become the official home to the Sandman universe, but I do think that Steve Yockey, Schwartz, and the writing team created something that can absolutely stand on its own without Sandman cameos or any sort of affiliation. Yes, the show has a cameo or two from The Sandman series, but they could’ve easily been removed (and were likely only added to draw in the existing Sandman audience). Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox Either way, there’s truly something for everyone - and you can’t say that about too many shows, or too many supernatural teen dramas even. I worry that Dead Boy Detectives will quickly become another forgotten streaming gem, but it deserves so much more - and I hope you fall in love with it, too. For more, check out ourDead Boy Detectives reviewand our roundup of thebest shows of 2024, on which it features. 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that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: 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hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”