Watch TrailerThe Archies Movie Review: For many, The Archies comic series has been an integral part of their childhood. Rushing to stores to grab a copy of the comic book and letting your heart sway between Archie and Reggie is a core memory. While most of us have experienced the printed days of The Archies, many young adults have seen Archies through the lens of Riverdale, Netflix’s popular series, as well. Now, Bollywood director Zoya Akhtar has added a desi twist to The Archies in the form of a Netflix Indian original film which features several newbies including Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi Saigal and Yuvraj Menda.
As the trailer has already revealed, The Archies is set in a hill station that houses a number of Anglo-Indian families. Set in the 1950s, the film revolves around Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda), Betty Cooper (Khushi Kapoor), Veronica Lodge (Suhana Khan), Reggie Mantle (Vedang Raina), Jughead Jones (Mihir Ahuja), Ethel Muggs (Aditi Saigal) and Dilton Doiley (Yuvraj Menda), who have grown up in Riverdale and share a strong bond with the town, especially with the park in the center of the city which has trees planted by every family member in Riverdale.
While all seems happy and nice, things take a heartbreaking turn when Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge (Alyy Khan) decides to shut down the park and construct a hotel property at the location. Betty’s father loses his bookstore, Jughead’s favourite Poptate’s is at the brink of shutting down and many other changes come into play that divides the group. While half the group blames Veronica and her father for the downfalls in their lives, Archie is focused on building a future. To top it off, Betty learns about Veronica’s love for Archie and is torn between her best friend and her crush. Through the second half, The Archies gang realises the importance of being united and eventually saves the park.
Spread across two hours and 23 minutes, The Archies has some hits and misses. Let’s start with the hits. The Archies is a movie made by and for Gen Z. This is not a film keeping those who are already familiar in mind. Zoya has also treated the film in a way that she is talking to the young adults of the country and not those who are loyal fans of the comic series. Keeping her target audience in mind, The Archies somewhat works. Zoya, along with screenwriters Ayesha Devitre Dhillon and Reema Kagti, sends a series of messages to the young gen.
With the help of Betty and Veronica, The Archies tries to put across the importance of female friendships and ways of tackling a common boy interest. With Archie, the film tries to put the spotlight on how it is okay to be confused about life and love choices. His character also weighs in on the importance of being politically aware and picking your battles. With Ethel, she focuses on the subject of ambition. And my favourite, with Dilton, Zoya subtly touches upon being queer in your teens and telling your story in your own time.
These stories are beautifully presented by each actor. Agastya as Archie is an interesting choice and he proves why he was chosen. Given the subjects that Zoya was handling, Agastya fits perfectly in the look and feel of Archie. Suhana and Kushi as Veronica and Betty shoulder every scene with balance, allowing each other to take the spotlight when they need to shine. Suhana lights up the screen every time she pops in. Khushi, on the other hand, makes you forget about her glam social life on Instagram with her simplistic performance. I am eager to see what these girls pick next.
Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi Saigal, and Yuvraj Menda make their presence felt in every scene. They are great performers and you find yourself wanting to see them more on screen. While Mihir has already impressed us with his previous projects, including Made in Heaven 2, Vedang stole my heart as Reggie. He is smooth like butter in his performance.
Now to the misses. The biggest miss for me with The Archies is its narration style. The film begins as though it is a play in motion. The sets stand out evidently, the costumes and dialogues are rehearsed so well that it feels like you are watching a play. However, as the movie starts to deal with the various subjects, it starts to fall apart.
In an attempt to keep everything connected, scenes of the gang together are inserted but they don’t fit the jigsaw puzzle. The music is an overdose and it overshadows the story. There is a song for almost all occasions. While some stick with you, like Va Va Voom and Jab Tum Na Theen, the various versions of Dear Diary start to hinder the viewing experience. While it is understandable that it is a musical and there are bound to be songs, the songs don’t blend it fully in the second half.
The film could have also been a tad bit shorter. Some scenes like Betty finding out about Veronica and Archie could have been written tighter. By the time the film reaches the climax, you are already zoning out of it. The climax is also done in a bit of a hurry and is predictable. With The Archies, it is evident that Zoya had a lot in store for the young generation and wanted to balance out every character but the task of it took a toll on the overall story.
Should you watch The Archies? Give it a shot for the cast, look, and feel of the movie. It would be a bonus if you have a Gen Z by your side.
