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In today’s world of social media, it’s easy to get caught up in likes and follows and posting the perfectly filtered selfie. But in the Netflix comedy Afterlife of the Party, a party girl discovers too late that there’s more to life than finding the coolest clubs—and she’s given a chance to make a change.
Afterlife of the Party stars Victoria Justice as Cassie, an outgoing party planner whose weeklong celebration of her 25th birthday is cut short by her sudden accidental death. She finds herself in The In-Between—a place for those who have unfinished business back on Earth. Her Guardian Angel, Val (Robyn Scott), explains that, in order to be accepted Above, she’ll need to right her wrongs with three loved ones: her BFF, Lisa (Midori Francis), her dad (Adam Garcia), and her estranged mom (Gloria Garcia). And she’s got just five days to make it all happen.
As you might expect, this party princess isn’t thrilled by the thought of being newly deceased. And she’s even less thrilled by the thought of having to go back and fix the mistakes she made while she was living—because she’s not even sure that she made any mistakes. After all, she was pretty and popular—and if not everyone appreciated that, it wasn’t her fault. Informed of the alternative, though, she begrudgingly sets out (in a fabulous new outfit, naturally) to give it a shot.
What follows, of course, is more than a little bit fluffy. It’s catchy pop tunes and meet cutes. It’s the story of a shallow character (but one who’s just slightly shallow—not so shallow that she’s unlikable) realizing the error of her shallow ways. There are twists in the story that feel a little too convenient and conflicts of the light, chick flick variety.
Still, despite its overall fluffiness, there’s something lovable and even heartfelt about Afterlife of the Party. Cassie’s well-meaning attempts to fix everything are often amusing. Her awkward paleontologist friend, Lisa, is adorable. And as Cassie works to make things right for those she’s left behind, you can just sit back and chuckle (and sniffle) your way through the journey.
Granted, Afterlife of the Party isn’t an especially clever film, and you won’t be surprised by how the story plays out. In fact, it feels a little bit like a Gen Z Hallmark movie. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. This cute comedy would pair well with your favorite sweatpants, a bottle of cheap wine, and a few girlfriends for a cozy girls’ night in.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
