IF

A cutesy idea is hamstrung by thematic incoherence and narrative slog in IF, which emphasizes the redemptive power of childhood friends and memories without leaving lasting impressions itself.

What if imaginary friends (IFs) didn’t fade away once you reach a certain age? What if they stuck around in some sort of retirement home until they could latch onto either a new child or your own, reinvigorated inner child? As a premise, that has all the hallmarks of a winning movie. In reality IF is decidedly meh though.

The seeds of the picture’s failure to connect to an audience are sown in the very first minutes, when 12-year old Bea, fresh of the loss of her mom, gets scared when her dad (Krasinski in a glorified cameo) has to spend a few days in hospital for what he insists is a routine operation. All the inner turmoil this should create alas evaporates due to some questionable artistic decisions.

Why, for example, are there so few relatable father-daughter moments in IF? Bea’s dad is pushed to the sidelines almost from the get-go and the few interactions they have are throwaway gags instead of emotional gut-punches. And why is the entire movie built on a saturated, colourful Disney-style production design and cinematography that enhances the artificiality of the story, short-changing the emotional beats?

I’ll admit, some of the imaginary friends on display are fun – my favourite were the secretive Cosmo, who brings a frenetic, Roger Rabbitish energy to his scenes, and teddy bear Lewis, voiced by the late, great Louis Gossett Jr. – but do they actually add to the story beyond their design and eccentricity? I consistently got the feeling that the incessant world-building around them is more important to writer-director Krasinski than the characters and their evolution.

Without a doubt, IF will satisfy plenty of people as a piece of easily digestible, CGI-enhanced entertainment. But if you wanna see a lifechanging movie about imaginary friends, you are much better of watching 1950 classic Harvey, which features prominently in a few scenes early on in IF and thus only highlights the emotional and artistic chasm between the two movies.

release: 2024

director: John Krasinski

starring: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw