By: Hafeezat Bishi

If you’re like many early 20-something-year-olds, you grew up singing both parts of “Bop to the Top” by the famous sibling duo Sharpay and Ryan Evans of High School Musical. This movie series encaptured Disney viewers with the insane choreographed musical numbers, blooming romances, and great friendships portrayed on screen. Even after the last movie, people still wanted more.

With the direction of famous filmmaker and choreographer, Kenny Ortega, you now have a new show with the remnants of the good ole HSM times. Just without all the random music ensembles. Julie and the Phantoms is a nine-episode comedy-drama series based on the 2011 Brazilian series of the same name, Julie e os Fantasmas. From the first song, the show proves to have promise. So, if you’re in desperate need of a new quarantine binge, I suggest you keep reading.

The Plot

The series follows the story of Julie and her ghostly band Sunset Curve as they explore themes of loss, grief, passions, and, of course, musical friendship. But wait, ghosts? Without giving too much away, 25 years ago in 1995, Sunset Curve faced an untimely demise on the night of one of their biggest performances. How did it happen? Hint: don’t eat just anywhere.

Present day 2020, Julie Molina, a Puerto-Rican American high school musician—we love a girl of color lead—still grieving the loss of her mother, plays Sunset Curve’s last album and BOOM, the band appears in her garage. As the show progresses, Luke, Reggie, and Alex—the main singer, bassist, and drummer respectively—befriend Julie and find out that when they perform besides her, their ghostly bodies can be seen. And thus, Julie and the Phantoms are born.

The Music

Now, knowing that THE Kenny Ortega is behind the show, you can expect to have catchy bops from Julie and the Phantoms. And they do indeed deliver. From princess pop tunes and Broadway-esque ensembles to more somber ballads, the original soundtrack has a bit of everything for everyone. You’ll definitely find yourself repeating it a couple of times after first listening.

One thing that was extremely important for Ortega was that the performers actually know how to perform. According to an article from Entertainment Weekly, he didn’t want people to fake strum a guitar or lip sync, he wanted to form a real band so all of the actors are legit musicians. While COVID definitely threw a wrench in most people’s plans, Ortega hopes that once it’s safe again Julie and the Phantoms can tour and sing for all their fans across the globe. This has been done before with TV bands, such as Big Time Rush and the Cheetah Girls, so hopefully it can be done again.

The...Romance?

While no couple can take the place of Troy and Gabriella, this show does give them a run for their money when it comes to cutesy high school romances. Luke and Julie have stolen the hearts of many with their chemistry both on and off the stage. You will be on the edge of your seat whenever they interact because sadly, Luke is dead, so they can never be...right? We also have another budding couple, Alex and Willie—another ghostly friend played by the handsome BooBoo Stewart—who show how easy it is to simply have LGBTQ representation on screen without pandering to the community. Everything is so pure it will have you “awwing” the entire time.

In conclusion

With amazing music, comedic relief, innocent crushes, and even some evil doings, because not everything can be rainbows and roses, Julie and the Phantoms is an easy binge for you during your time inside. It is the breath of fresh air that folks need these days as we try to separate ourselves from the anxiety and isolation that the pandemic has brought. And when you’re done watching, you can relive the show over and over, watch the interviews, and connect with other fans (the Fantoms work FAST with the fanpages). So go add it to your Netflix list and enjoy!

The Quick Quarantine Binge We All Need

The Plot

The Music

The...Romance?

In conclusion