GamesRadar+ VerdictA deeply moving exploration of loss, grief, sexuality, and love that will break your heart and mend it over and over again.
GamesRadar+ Verdict
GamesRadar+ Verdict
A deeply moving exploration of loss, grief, sexuality, and love that will break your heart and mend it over and over again.
A deeply moving exploration of loss, grief, sexuality, and love that will break your heart and mend it over and over again.
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
Warning: Minor spoilers for Dead Boy Detectives!
Hollywood is at the peak of TV and film adaptations, and I’m a little burnt out. When a TV series based on Dead Boy Detectives was announced some two years ago, I was nervous. Neil Gaiman’s work has a delightfully dark whimsy that has to be handled delicately, and beautifully complex characters that need to be treated with care. Netflix’s The Sandman, which had Gaiman at the helm, was nearly perfect. Some of us spent our whole lives waiting to see the Endless on screen – and it was more than worth it. It thrills me to say that Steve Yockey’s Dead Boy Detectives not only captures the delightfully dark spirit of its comic book counterpart, but is a deeply moving exploration of loss, grief, sexuality, and love that will break your heart and mend it over and over again.
(Image credit: Netflix)
To quote Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, “The human world is a mess.” So why stay? When the boys died, Edwin in 1916 and Charles in 1989, no one investigated. No one cared. Rather than go back to their eternal resting places (which, for Edwin, is anything but restful), the two best friends decide to use their time on earth for good. It’s here that they make two human friends, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson) and Niko (Yuyu Kitamura). Although, technically they make three human friends if you count Jenny (Briana Cuoco), the cynical tattooed butcher shop owner turned reluctant landlord who comes around to liking them at the very end.
Rexstrew and Revri have an unmistakable chemistry, and it’s easy to, not just see, butfeelthe love they have for each other. Nelson’s Crystal enters the show as the antidote to Edwin’s more uptight and stubborn nature, but quickly becomes her own strong and special character – with her storyline almost becoming more interesting and exciting than the boys'. It’s impossible not to fall in love with these characters, to shriek at the screen when something goes wrong, to wait on the edge of your seat until the next episode. But it’s not just about the protagonists, one of the most compelling parts of the series is its complex and ruthless villains.
(Image credit: Netflix)
Mark my words, Dead Boy Detectives will be the next TV show to sweep the internet and garner an immensely dedicated fanbase, and this will be partly because of how many young people will see themselves in Edwin Payne. I said that the show is delightfully dark, but it’s also delightfully queer. Rexstrew’s Edwin doesn’t quite have the words to verbalize his own sexuality, to admit his feelings to the person he truly loves, and we spend the season watching him develop this incredible strength, this sense of pride.
The season does wrap up with a neat little bow, as if it’d be perfectly fine and good if Netflix decided not to renew the series for a second season – but I need at least three, or five. Gaiman goths, we won.
Dead Boy Detectives is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our list of thebest Netflix showsto stream right now.
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Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
Meta Quest 3S review: “Maybe the best entry-level VR device ever created”
Glorious Series 2 Pro review: “comfortable and nimble, but not quite punching with the flagships”
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
Bouiles Elite Series review: “The longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became”
Azeron Cyborg II review: “One of the best gaming peripherals I’ve ever used”
Atari 7800+ review: “a retro console remake for the ‘80s kids”
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs 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"4Indiana 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"1Sonic 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"3Kraven 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"5Nightbitch 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"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights 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: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton 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”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature 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”
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”
5
Cobra 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”