Marketed with a 100-day countdown and a dozen brand collaborations, Netflix’s The Archies is finally here. Adapted for the screen from the “Archie” comics, the film brings the all-American story to an Indian setting in the early 1960s. Sir John Riverdale, an Englishman, first posted in Bombay, fell in love with a beautiful Indian woman named Sitara. It seems Sir John couldn’t resist anything beautiful, so when he found a stunning piece of land somewhere in the mountains, he and his wife took all their savings and their four children, bought the land from a Maharaj, and named their new Anglo-Indian town Riverdale, after him, of course. The town grew, and it became a haven for the half-British, half-Indian kids who had nowhere else to go. After independence, many left the town, moving to England, but those who stayed planted their roots by quite literally planting trees in their central park, Green Park. This is the story of the class of ‘64.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In The Film?
This story begins when an Anglo-Indian girl, Veronica Lodge, returns to Riverdale after two long years. Anticipating her arrival are Betty Cooper, her best friend, and Archie, her on-and-off love. While Archie is the lead singer in a band and has the hottest girl(s) in town under his spell, Reggie Mantle is the school heartthrob with his greaser look and nonchalant attitude. Their big group also consists of Jughead, the guy who can only think about food (fair), Dilly, the smartest little nerd, and Ethel, an ambitious young girl (yeah, as vague as it sounds). Archie is that kid who wants to make it big, somewhere far away from his little hillside town and where the cool kids are. His big dream is to move to London and become a global musical sensation. Of course, he has the kindest parents who believe in him and trust his decisions, even if they feel otherwise. While Archie is just a confused mess, the Lodges have something grand planned for the town.
Their big ambitions- a plaza and a massive hotel to bring in tourists to little old Riverdale. Dawson, the city council head and a man with political ambition, will do anything in his power to implement their plan so they can help him further his career. While he convinces council members to join his side and essentially destroy Riverdale’s heritage—their precious Green Park—the gentrification of the town has already begun for the big plaza. At first, the kids are all oblivious to what’s happening in the town, but when Betty’s father has to sell his precious bookstore (one that looks quite magical), she decides to act up. Already she’s drifting apart from Veronica because Archie has decided to two-time them, something he thinks is just his “love” for them both (um, tell them then?). Betty blames Veronica herself for everything her father is doing (oops), reminding her that she needs to go through his secretary to get a word in (ouch). In a rage, Veronica finds her mother and asks for help regarding the bookstore. Of course, immediately, Hal Cooper has a new job at the new bookstore in town.
Archie proves his naivety once again when he reminds everyone that he lives in a happy bubble and doesn’t care for politics. He’s been so caught up with his planned move to London, that he doesn’t see his town crumbling. The kids are quickly reminded of how important it is for them to keep the town as it is, and on the night of Archie’s parents’ 20th anniversary, everyone has a massive discussion. For the parents, it really leads to nothing, a reminder that grown-ups can’t act on will, only need, but kids can (boo). This is when the kids decide to take matters into their own hands and show the town how much they truly care.
Why Does Archie Decide To Stay Back In Riverdale?
Archie and Reggie have a word with Dawson, trying to figure out how they can make the council change their mind about allowing a hotel in Green Park. They also learn then that the trees will be cut down (nice bubble they’re living in), meaning they’ll lose their legacy. Gomes, Dawson’s assistant, who has always been on the side of Riverdale, tells the boys that a petition signed by over half the population of Riverdale can stop the hotel from becoming a thing. While all of the school kids would vote, kids aren’t allowed to sign, so it’s up to the adult residents of the town to make a difference. Teamwork makes the dream work, and Reggie decides to stop being a fool for once and write an article for his father’s Gazette in order to tell the residents what’s really happening and urge them to sign the petition. His article is amazing, and his father is overjoyed, but this is when they find out that it’s their biggest investors—the Lodges—who are building this hotel! No money means no paper, so that’s a failed plan. Suddenly, the kids know more about social responsibility than their parents, and they get fired up against Veronica, thinking she’s the one who told her father about the article.
At this time, Archie is still excited about moving to England, but he has a word with his father, who tells him about his grandfather, “Richie.” He stayed back and started a travel agency to give back to those who needed it. Archie’s father reminds him of the joy of staying in Riverdale, something he himself experienced. Heartstrings are tugged, and Archie goes to his favorite Green Park to look at the tree that he planted, with his name in front of it.
Who Ends Up With Archie?
In all their excitement, the group of friends decides to get their petition signed. They start small but strong. By Christmas, Veronica truly understands how alone she is because her parents head out for a business meeting while her friends are uninterested in talking to her, no thanks to them. Betty finds a sad Veronica on a walk and brings her home to her happy family. As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side, so the girls discuss how they’ve both been most jealous of each other. Betty admits to having kissed Archie, not knowing that Veronica still had feelings for him. They both talk about how they wouldn’t have interfered if they knew the other person’s feelings (yes, we love girl gangs). It’s easy to get Jughead talking with some food, so they learn about Archie liking them both. Friendship triumphs over love, and the girls tell Archie that he’s a fantastic friend, so things should remain as they are. Not to forget the warning never to come in between them (yes, we dig female solidarity!).
What’s Dilly’s Secret?
Now the kids have collected 1200 votes, meaning they need a little over 3000 more to keep the park with no time on their hands. Archie comes up with the idea of holding a festival to draw in the old crowd that is young at heart, but how will they reach them and bring them all together? Dilly’s secret radio. Illegal as it may be, Dilly has the courage to use his secret for a cause, and they announce the festival on their very own “Dilton-vani.” The announcement is perfectly heartfelt and reminds everyone of how important Green Park is. The kids spend the night before their festival in Green Park, knowing that the Lodges will try to start work early the next day. They hold a protest, and Veronica’s father is certain that that’s all it’ll be, so they leave, letting the kids have some fun (well done).
Do The Kids Save The Park?
Short answer: of course they do; this is a Bollywood movie. At the end of The Archies, there’s a grand party in the park, with a sweet song by the titular band themselves. Clothes, cakes, and jokes all get sold for signatures, and before you know it, Dawson is worried. With limited time on their hands, the kids bring in the petitions as they’re getting signed. As the votes get counted in real time, Dawson starts to hide some of the petitions. It can’t be a Bollywood film without drama, and somehow the hidden sheets fall from the sky like paper planes, proving that the kids have in fact saved their precious Green Park. Even though Dilton’s illegal radio is caught, he’s allowed one last announcement. Every house in Riverdale tunes into “Dilton-vani” to rejoice in their victory.
Everyone’s delighted, of course, even Veronica’s father, who sees his success in his daughter’s businessman behavior. The kids showed the adults that no one is too young to be a revolutionary and that business is, in fact, quite a personal affair.
