Netflix's Dead Talents Society is a Taiwanese horror-comedy that focuses on the daily struggles of ghosts whose afterlife is anything but easy. The Newbie was a recently deceased young woman trying to understand the afterlife with her best friend, Camilla. They were often called the "little ones" because they lacked the talent to scare humans. They survived on offerings from their families and preferred to stay out of the spotlight. But things changed when the Newbie started experiencing glitches.
It turned out that if the ghost's families got rid of any of their prized possessions, they only had one month to completely disappear. The "Hard Work" certificate was their most prized possession, and their sister had accidentally thrown it away along with other recyclables. This caused the glitch, and the only way the Newbie could stop the disintegration process was to obtain a Haunting License and sign up to become a terrifying ghost forever. The Rookie auditioned to become a licensed ghost, but ended up being the laughingstock of everyone. Although everyone in the room understood her desperation, they didn't believe she deserved a license, as it would end up embarrassing the entire community. But there was someone in the room who didn't believe it. Makoto introduced herself to the Rookie and Camilla. She firmly believed the young woman would succeed in becoming a renowned ghost; she just needed someone who believed in her.
Makoto worked with Catherine, one of the legendary ghosts of the underworld. Thanks to her, Room 414 became an object of great curiosity among humans. She had a routine she implemented whenever a human entered the room. All the ghosts wanted to copy her hunched walk, as it always guaranteed a scare. While Catherine dominated the committee at one point, her protégé, Jessica, eventually took control. She came up with the idea of scaring humans online, and it was a resounding success. Although Catherine believed no one could replace her, the reality was very different. She had become a fading star, and she found it hard to accept. Makoto believed the new recruits could help them execute their plans better, and unlike Jessica, the untalented young women wouldn't betray Catherine.
The Rookie and Camilla were terrible at their first job, and although Catherine wanted to fire them, Makoto firmly believed they all deserved a chance. As someone who dreamed of becoming a pop star but was constantly met with failure, Makoto knew what it was like to be ignored and mocked. She wanted the Rookie to prove the world wrong, so she began her rigorous training, but the Rookie struggled to become the terrifying monster she was supposed to be. She wanted to exist, but little by little, it began to seem like a distant dream. Catherine had been observing the Rookie's progress and decided they should use the most obvious method to scare humans: a fall. The Rookie had to jump off the hotel terrace and get back on her feet to scare the humans. Makoto devised the perfect plot to execute her plan. Her target was a couple who, at first, tried not to assume the worst, but when the plates and chairs started moving on their own, they fled for their lives. As she was about to leave the building, Catherine pushed The Rookie off the terrace, and she ended up impaled on the hotel sign, causing a short circuit. Although she assumed she hadn't executed the plan perfectly, according to the internet, she was the new ghost diva. The couple had filmed the incident, and everyone who saw the video was terrified of The Rookie. Catherine handed her her driver's license, and although she was proud of The Rookie's achievement, she tried to hide her joy.
The Rookie admired Catherine and made her feel acknowledged after so long. Every time the underworld began to obsess over Jessica, Catherine had been sidelined. Just when she was beginning to doubt her worth, The Rookie came into her life and made her feel good about herself. She knew what it felt like to be ignored. Jessica had mocked and humiliated the Newbie, and she was upset when the diva didn't acknowledge her. Catherine comforted her; she believed that, like ghosts, they all desperately longed to be seen because it was the only way they wouldn't disintegrate. Watching their loved ones grow old and move on with their lives was a bittersweet feeling. Although they had to learn to let go, they often ended up in familiar places hoping to see familiar faces.
The Newbie saw a glimmer of hope when she was handed her ID, but after being humiliated on a talk show, she remembered that she was just a girl with no talent. All her life she had tried to prove herself, and the struggle continued even in the afterlife. She believed she had earned the ID.
The Rookie had seen her father print a fake certificate (his most prized possession) to encourage her. He wanted it to be a starting point that would inspire her to strive for such accomplishments. But she still couldn't achieve her goals. The Rookie felt like a failure, especially considering her sister's great academic achievements. One day, while wondering if she hadn't made her parents proud, an earthquake struck. She tried to grab her prized certificate, but in the process, the cabinet fell on her, and she was crushed to death. The Rookie thought she deserved to disintegrate, so she decided to stay away from one of the most important missions of her afterlife.
A social media influencer, Non-Believer, was planning to record a video for his channel showing Jessica at the Rookie's haunted hotel. The idea was to capture the two legendary ghosts in a single video, and his announcement caught the attention of the underworld. Jessica was ready, but the Rookie wasn't. Catherine, dressed in her school uniform, decided to double for The Rookie. She realized it was time to move on; she held a grudge against her ex-boyfriend for not going to room 414, where he ended up spending his afterlife as a ghost. She felt she should support the new talent, especially when he faced Jessica.
Jessica and Catherine tried to sabotage each other in a desperate attempt to prove who was the better ghost. Although nothing went as planned, the ghost community felt hopeful when they saw the fear on the faces of the influencer and his friends. But things worsened when Jessica and Catherine ended up destroying the cameras the influencers were using to record the entire incident. Without the cameras, the show was pointless, and the Chair Ghost left the auditorium, disappointed.
Just when all the ghosts assumed the show was over, The Rookie arrived. He jumped off the terrace and his body crashed into the road. The influencers were terrified to see her wake up with blood all over her body. The Rookie was frustrated with how her life had turned out and refused to accept failure once again. She chased the influencers, and to her surprise, her team/friends, dressed in school uniforms, joined her. The influencers boarded a taxi, terrified by the ghosts banging on their window. Although they managed to flee the scene, they were involved in an accident.
In the Dead Talents Society finale, the Rookie expressed that she had never felt so alive, even while still alive. She was glad to have found her people, who believed in her and supported her even on her worst days. The Rookie longed to be seen her entire life, and she finally experienced the joy of being acknowledged and appreciated.
The Dead Talents Society finale confirms that the Rookie, Catherine, and Jessica were granted licenses from the Chair ghost after the influencers performed a grand appeasement ritual, which confirmed their fear of ghosts. In the final scene of the film, we see The Rookie visiting her sister's son. She wanted him to know that he didn't have to be special; that was the lesson she learned after her sister's death. She'd spent her entire life thinking she didn't deserve to exist because she was an ordinary person, but she just needed someone to tell her it was okay to be who she was.
Comments
Post a Comment