One of Netflix’s most highly anticipated Original films turned out to be one of its most underwhelming. Much of the hype leading up to the release of The Archies had to do with its cast of newcomers, some from prominent Bollywood families. None of them are at fault for the film’s problems, which are rather due to uncharacteristic missteps by the film’s writer-director, Zoya Akhtar.
Based on the Archie comic books, the movie takes place in 1964 in the fictional Anglo-Indian hill town of Riverdale, India. The story is centered around the town’s teenagers, including Archie (Agastya Nanda, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson), his neighbor Betty (Khushi Kapoor, Sridevi’s daughter), her best friend Veronica (Suhana Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter), and their pals Reggie (Vedang Raina), Jughead (Mihir Ahuja), Ethel (Aditi Saigal, aka “Dot”), and Dilton (Yuvraj Menda).
There are various romantic entanglements and crushes within the group, the most chaotic of which is Archie’s fondness for both Betty and Veronica. Those complications get pushed aside when Veronica’s wealthy father Hal (Satyajit Sharma) pressures the town council to let him build a hotel in the middle of Green Park: a place important to Riverdale’s young people. Archie and friends get a quick education in political organizing and band together to save the park.
When the story focuses on the teens, it’s pretty entertaining, if mostly surface level. Mihir Ahuja as Jughead is the only one with prior acting experience, and his performance is the most assured. The rest of the young actors show promise, particularly Suhana Khan’s dancing and Khushi Kapoor’s attentiveness toward her fellow performers during scenes.
Things slow down when the adults get involved, sapping the dynamism from the film. The teens are absent from a lot of these scenes, shining a spotlight on their expository nature. Was there no better way to convey information than via grownups sitting around talking?
The slow periods stand out because The Archies is structured more like musical theater than a typical “Bollywood” movie. Many of the songs flow out of conversations and have lyrics that are literal rather than metaphorical. You can sense how scenes would physically transition from one to another were this to be turned into a stage musical. Even in this movie version, the scenes with adults talking need to feel just long enough to allow for a set change to happen in the background, and no longer.
Considering that The Archies is a musical, it’s unfortunate that its songs are so forgettable. “Sunoh” and “Va Va Voom” — the two tunes Netflix used in their promotions for the film — are the best of the lot. Instead of using an upbeat number during a rally for the park, Akhtar uses the ballad “Yeh Saari Aawazein.” Betty periodically sings some of her diary entries, but the performance style is too contemporary and feels out of place.
The disappointing quality of the songs is countered by novel, entertaining choreography. There’s something going on in every corner of the screen in the tune “Everything Is Politics.” “Dhishoom Dhishoom” is danced entirely on roller skates. On top of that, the film’s styling and costuming is top-notch.
Good elements like choreography and costume design can’t counterbalance the film’s structural issues and overall underwhelming vibe, unfortunately. Akhtar’s vision for The Archies is interesting, but the execution isn’t up to her usual high standards.
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