Hello critters! Today I want to talk about my latest obsession: Julie and the Phantoms. Cute ghosts, catchy songs, 90s vibes, what more could you want?
The show created by Dan Cross and David Hoge is executive produced by Kenny Ortega, aka the king of teen musicals. The premise of the show is a bit wacky but it maintains a sense of coherence within its own universe. Julie Molina is a teenage girl who lost her spark after her mother died. She used to share her passion for music with the latter but has had trouble getting back into it. While going through her mother's belongings in the converted garage, she puts on a CD that makes 3 ghosts appear right before her very eyes. The boys, stuck at 17 years old, were in a band called Sunset Curve (tell your friends!) but they unfortunately died just before the big show that was going to make them legends. At first only Julie can see them and talk with them, but they soon come to find out that everyone can hear them when they play music. Luke, lead singer and guitarist, Reggie, bass and vocals, and Alex, drums and vocals, have found a new reason to live. Well, to after-live. Their plans to revive the band get in motion when they find out that Julie can play the piano and has golden pipes (she's got her mojo back!). Soon enough, they realize that for some reason that is beyond them, whenever the boys play with Julie they become visible to all. Which changes everything.
The show follows the adventures of Julie and her ghost band who connect through music and bring each other back to life. It is a story about friendship, about grief, about the power of music. The characters are fun and endearing, the songs totally get stuck in your head (if I wake up in the middle of the night, I definitely have one playing on repeat), the plot goes along nicely and without glaring holes. The costume department did a fantastic job with the 90s style for the boys and with Julie's concerts outfits (seriously I am dying for Reggie's classic rock wardrobe).
If I have one remark to sum up my thoughts, it would be this: Julie and the Phantoms has everything I missed in Descendants 3.
Let me explain.
Cute gay ghosts.
Cute. Gay. Ghosts.
Basically, Alex is my favourite character on the show and I was over the moon that he was given a love interest, played by none other than resident dreamboat, Booboo Stewart. When Alex meets Willie for the first time, a carefree thrill-seeker cruising through the afterlife on his skateboard, we get a fantastic shot from Alex's point of view / reverse-shot of Alex's reaction. The shot consists of a slow-mo of Booboo standing up and letting his hair fall back into place, even pushing it away from his gorgeous face. The reverse-shot is an adorable Alex, eyes wide open and jaw dropped, as he immediately develops a crush (honestly, who wouldn't?). I was screaming at my screen "YES! That is exactly it!" as I wholeheartedly agreed with my little gay baby's reaction. So whoever thought this was the right way to introduce Willie's character, I thank you and I praise you.
CUTE GAY GHOSTS!
I love that Alex is canonically gay and he gets to interact with another ghost with whom he develops a relationship based on helping one another and caring about each other. Willie takes Alex under his wing and teaches him about the intricacies of the afterlife. As they get to know each other and clearly catch feelings for each other, Willie even decides to take risks for Alex, both out of guilt and out of "love", and help him out when he needs it most. I really wanted Jay to be gay in Descendants 3, especially since he had this cool bromance with the son of Gaston, and I was severely disappointed that he wasn't. So getting to see Booboo play a queer character (even though it's still just subtext for now) was a real treat, long-awaited but much appreciated. There better be a kiss in season 2!
Then, our screens get graced by the presence of Cheyenne Jackson. Cast as the devilishly dashing Caleb, Jackson plays the main antagonist that plots to thwart our heroes' plans. This manipulative ghost loves power and feels threatened by the boys extraordinary abilities. There can only be one phantasmagorical star that shines in the spotlight of life and it won't be Julie's Phantoms.
In Descendants 3, Jackson also plays a bad guy with an excessive taste for theatrics but he only gets one number, and it's a duet. Whereas here, he gets TWO full-blow numbers that showcase his talent. The man was born to sing, honestly. The songs of the Hollywood Ghost Club use modern beats with a heavy jazz influence, they're catchy as hell. You just want to get up and dance. Both ensemble numbers must have required a lot of preparation and a lot of time to film because the production value on it is incredible. Anything less wouldn't have been worthy of Cheyenne Jackson.
Finally, the leading lady of the show doesn't make you want to slap her in the face for being a dumbass. Throughout Descendants 3, I was quite exasperated with Mal. I get that she would want to protect the kingdom but she really didn't have to be so annoying about it and then ruin her friendships by betraying her friends' trust. Julie on the other hand is honest with her best friend because she'd rather have Flynn think she's crazy than lose her. Healthy female friendships for the win! The two teenage girls rely on each other and support each other's musical endeavours. Julie blossoms thanks to the boys but she makes sure to bring her best friend along for the magical ride.
Losing her mom was tough on Julie, as would be on anybody who has a non-toxic relationship with their parent, so naturally her dad is delighted to see her wake up again and get back into music. The relationship between Julie and Ray is heartwarming, it's nice to see a father that has their child's best interest at heart and actually pushes them to pursue a hobby that makes them happy. When Julie opens up to her dad about the band, he expresses his love for her by making arrangements to elevate her. Ray is a great dad. Bonus points to the Molina family for being Latinx but that not being played as a major plot point or personality trait, it's just a detail that adds authenticity.
Julie is a good character who is endearing and you can't help but root for her.
In other words, in my humble opinion, Julie and the Phantoms is the superior project from Kenny Ortega's filmography.
Guitars and marshmallow ghosts 🎸
Nicky 🦊
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