Culture Cinema & Tv Show reviews

Julie and the Phantoms

Julie and the Phantoms | Show review

Julie and the Phantoms starts off a little unsteady. The structure of each episode jumps from one plot hurdle to another. This doesn’t really give a lot of time to create layers within the characters or build any dynamics. Some really poignant scenes suffer because of the lack of build-up as certain events move at a significantly fast pace. Each episode is centered around a song that defines the events of that specific episode. While this format works in progressing the narrative, the use of lyrics as exposition becomes quite problematic.

There’s a lot of handholding in the dialogue as well. The ghostly aspect of the characters is used to cover certain story beats in passing conversations. Because of this, the writing gets lazy and reliant on humour rather than storytelling. That in itself doesn’t work, as the awkward attempts to be funny are only amplified by bland acting and off-timed delivery. However, there are moments where the jokes are well-written, and the actors get the timing just right. These are the moments that really spark the series’ potential.

The musical numbers are really the secret weapon of Julie and the Phantoms. The songs themselves are heartwarming and carry the weight of the entire episode. The scenes that involve music playing are better shot. It occasionally falters due to some of the actors’ overexaggerated and cartoony facial expressions and movements. But the cinematography is on a whole new level in terms of adding tone, personality and nuance to the narrative of the lyrics. The editing and camera movements are given a fresh composition as they interact with the lights and colours to create atmosphere.

Julie and the Phantoms is basically a better live-action rendition of the animated musical series Jem and the Holograms. There’s a lot to be curious about and a lot of interesting aspects about the plot itself, they’re just not very well executed. All of the wonderful things you can find in the series often fall flat because of the weak dialogue and shaky acting. It is reminiscent of High School Musical (especially the third film), but it’s more cut from the same cloth of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, because of its vibrant, youthful actors and energy in the music to wrap the darker aspects of its story.

Mae Trumata

Julie and the Phantoms is released on Netflix on 10th September 2020.

Watch the trailer for Julie and the Phantoms here:

More in Shows

Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia to open Venice Film Festival 2025

The editorial unit

“Letting us pass this torch on to the kids just makes me reflect on how crazy this experience has been”: Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Freya Skye and Malachi Barton on Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires

Christina Yang

Miley Cyrus unveils visual album Something Beautiful, streaming on Disney+ this July

The editorial unit

Ryan Gosling goes interstellar in Project Hail Mary, the latest sci-fi epic from the team behind The Martian and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

The editorial unit

Trailer drops for Roofman, Derek Cianfrance’s stranger-than-fiction crime drama starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst

The editorial unit

Dave Franco and Alison Brie face a rural nightmare in Michael Shanks’s upcoming horror film

The editorial unit

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Guy Lambert

Mediterrane Film Festival 2025: The Theft of the Caravaggio

Mae Trumata

Olivia Rodrigo at BST Hyde Park

Katherine Parry