The suggestion that life gets better if only you stand up for yourself is a helpful one. After all, self-confidence is something young kids could use a lot more of. But it’s also not true, and for Sid to instantly get his dream life once he starts applying himself just doesn’t ring true. Things unfold a little too smoothly and conveniently in this movie, making it less of an actual coming-of-age journey (which is complicated and messy) and more of a young boy’s simpleminded fantasy (that is, idealistic and egotistic). I just don’t buy that Sid, a kid who has been shy and avoidant all his life, gains all the wisdom, courage, and charisma of a hero overnight. And it certainly doesn’t help that everyone in his high school looks like they’ve long graduated from college. Ultimately, Sid is Dead lacks the authenticity to stand out from the wealth of excellent teen dramas we’ve been spoiled with in recent years. 

Mary Stuart Masterson, herself a 1980s teen icon, is cast here as Sid’s mom, but she is completely (almost disrespectfully) wasted. Hers is a non-role, present only for the sake of Sid having a parent figure, and it’s baffling how little she’s given to work with here. Carla Gallo, who plays the sex-ed teacher, is similarly underutilized despite being one of the very few funny people in this film. Like Masterson, Gallo has appeared in a number of coming-of-age stories in the past (including the underrated series Undeclared), and while their presence is welcome, seeing them here only strengthened the urge to put on an actually good teen movie.