[10][12] Daphne Blake is a high school student who has a semi-popular web show discussing the possibility of aliens and supernatural occurrences.

The girls put aside their differences, and Velma reveals she was protecting Daphne because she knew of the strange happenings at the school.

The girls notice Spencer acting unnaturally robotic, and suspect another student named Griffin Griffiths.

However, they are unable to push Mikayla out of the top spot due to her extensive extracurricular involvement and passion for art.

Daphne and Velma find Carol, who reveals that she created Bloom Innovative and posed as a student at Ridge Valley High.

Daphne and Velma return home from school to see that their computer screen is hacked by a possibly real phantom, who threatens the girls to stay away.

They are very real characters who are scared at times but find their strength and inner courage to keep moving forward and kind of control their own destiny.

"[14] Danielle Solzman of Solzy At The Movies positively reviewed the film, praising it for its acting and message of female empowerment.

Even though new stories are being told, the script stays true to the history...Sarah Gilman is absolutely astonishing in her approach to Velma Dinkley.

"By not including the other members of Mystery Incorporated, Daphne & Velma breaks out of the decades-old template viewers are used to (not a single reference to the male characters in the franchise is made) and forges its own refreshing path, owing more to indie flicks like Ghost World than the source material.

Unlike the previous two theatrical Scooby-Doo films that aimed to be as faithful to the classic cartoons as possible, Daphne & Velma puts the focus on empowered female relationships and images of women in technology, effectively dismantling nearly every trope of high school movies along the way".

Schonfeld derides the spin-off, stating despite the fact that, "The Two Sarahs (Jeffery and Gilman) as Daphne and Velma give it their all... a routine story, cheesy effects, and subpar writing let them down".