7 Reasons Reviews For John Krasinski's New Movie Are So Mixed

Summary IF's emotional performances captivate with Cailey Fleming's standout portrayal of youthful innocence and maturity in dealing with serious themes.

IF's tonal imbalance between comedy and drama creates a sense of confusion, impacting engagement and humor for younger audiences.

IF's exceptional visuals and cinematography blend seamlessly to create a world that immerses viewers, despite shortcomings in worldbuilding and emotional depth.

Despite receiving low numerical scores, reviews of John Krasinski's newest film, IF, have been mixed. While some critics feel as though Krasinski's story didn't fully work, others were charmed by his attempt to make a fantasy film aimed at younger audiences. As the writer, producer, director, and star of IF, Krasinski tells the story of a young girl, Bea (Cailey Fleming), and her neighbor, Cal (Ryan Reynolds), as they reunite a group of imaginary friends ("IFs") with other kids. Made clear by many reviews of IF, the charm and emotional pull of the film is undeniable.

However, critics are mixed when it comes to whether or not it worked in the kid's movie. As a director and writer, Krasinski is most known for his work on A Quiet Place and its sequel, so tonally, IF is a departure. IF earned Krasinski his first rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes since 2016, leaving many to believe the film won't be a success at the box office. Yet, critics have cited a few positive aspects of the film, such as the performances of IF's cast, the visual effects, and the film's incorporation of heavy topics in what could've just been a comical adventure film.

Related IF Review: John Krasinski’s Heartwarming, Creative Film Will Make You Miss Your Imaginary Friends Despite some clunkiness in its plot, IF pushes through with its warmth and optimistic tone, paving the way for some truly impactful moments.

7 IF Has A Memorable Performance From Cailey Fleming

Fleming gracefully handles the depth and joy in the film's story.

Image via Paramount Pictures

As the young protagonist, Bea takes on the responsibility of uniting the abandoned IFs with children. In these moments, Bea is playful and leans into her childlike imagination, but life has not been easy for her, and a hardened version of Bea forms in the wake of her father's hospitalization. IF includes an endless amount of cameos from recognizable names in Hollywood, but for many critics, it's Cailey Fleming's performance that stands out the most. As Valerie Complex from Deadline said, "The film’s casts deliver strong performances, with Fleming standing out as Bea, portraying a blend of youthful innocence and maturity to deal with the often serious themes of the film."

Fleming, the young actress best known for playing Judith Grimes in The Walking Dead, has a performance in IF that is childlike in the best way. Though she'd previously been averse to her father's attempts at making her laugh, she's quickly on board to help Cal rehouse the IFs. Fleming doesn't have an extensive filmography yet, but her charming performance in IF is a hopeful look into her future. As Julian Roman from MovieWeb points out, "Fleming brings to mind Jodie Foster and Hailee Steinfeld. That's huge praise and bodes well for her future career."

6 IF Is Tonally Confused

The film can't find the balance between comedy and drama.

Image via Paramount Pictures

Based on the promotional poster and synopsis of IF, it would be easy to assume the film would be lighthearted and adventurous as Bea and Cal work together to help the eccentric group of imaginary friends. However, IF is largely sentimental. Even when the jokes don't always land, there are still moments in IF that are meant to be comedic and playful, but they appear sparsely. IndieWire's Kate Erbland points out, "The divide between the wacky world of the IFs and the harsh concerns of Bea’s real life is too far. Tonally, “IF” never finds a happy medium."

If Krasinski set out to make a melodramatic film about reconnecting with one's childlike wonder and joy, then the tonal confusion likely wouldn't be an issue for critics. The problem only comes up when critics view the film from its target audience. As a fantasy comedy film aimed at younger audiences, there doesn't appear to be enough action and humor to keep them engaged. Ross Bonaime from Collider says, "Considering the lows that IF explores, the humor often doesn’t hit the highs that it needs to balance this story out."

5 IF Draws Emotional Comparisons To Fan-Favorite Pixar Films

The comparisons to Up and Toy Story equally help and hurt the impact of IF.

Image via Paramount Pictures

IF's sentient non-human creatures who have been abandoned by their former child companion are reminiscent of the beloved Toy Story franchise that emphasizes the toy's emotional connection to their young owners. The likeness between IF and the Pixar franchise is divisive among critics as the similarities leave some feeling a stronger emotional connection to the former, while others prefer to follow Tom Hanks' Woody over Steve Carell's Blue. Writing about IF's resemblance to Pixar films, Alistair Ryder from Looper said, "It feels desperate to emulate the studio's knack for marrying high concept race-against-time narratives with outlandish characters and tear-jerking emotion."

Adding to the Pixar similarities in IF, the film is also scored by Michael Giacchino, who is famously known for his contribution to Up's heartfelt story with his Oscar-winning original score. A comparable bittersweet score supports IF, and Kelechi Ehenulo from Empire writes, "With its touching conclusion and Giacchino’s affecting score, you’d be well advised to have the tissues on standby." However, despite aiming to get the audience to tear up over the arc of IF's characters like Pixar has successfully managed to achieve in one film after another, Ryder adds, "Reducing storytelling to a formula leaves it without heart."

4 The Visual Elements Of IF Are Exceptional

IF's cinematography and CGI warmly welcome audiences to be immersed in the story.

Image via Paramount Pictures

The character design and CGI of the IFs are crucial for buying into the film's established world. Though they are imaginary friends thought of by children, any off-putting details or visual effects would’ve poorly impacted the film's emotional connection to its audience, both the young and adult viewers. Fortunately, the blend of fantasy and reality is nearly seamless. Roman said, "The IFs aren't meant to be photorealistic CGI. They're supposed to look cartoonish and childlike. Their seamless integration with the live-action actors is stunning."

Complex's review adds, "CGI work is impeccable and seamlessly blends the real and imaginary worlds. The texture and detail of the imaginary friends, particularly the fur of Blue and Lewis, are rendered with such realism that they practically invite tactile engagement." Additionally, the cinematography of IF is wonderfully done by Janusz Kamiński, as expected. Kamiński is best known for his decades-spanning collaborations with Steven Spielberg and his signature visual talent lends itself to IF's eye-catching appeal. The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck notes that Kamiński's cinematography adds to the "real cinematic craftsmanship" of IF and "gives the proceedings a warm, burnished glow."

3 IF Doesn't Expand On Worldbuilding And Emotional Exploration

The rules of IF's established world and the inner conflict of its protagonist are unclear.

While the nostalgic and emotional tug at the audience's heartstrings helps with IF's engagement, the unnecessary complications in its storyline are unable to do the same. IF asks audiences to come along on a heartfelt journey but rarely explains to audiences why they should care to join in the ride in the first place. Erbland's review says, "This sort of story needs to envelope you in its storytelling and imagination, not simply tell you how important a good story is (which the film’s characters often do)."

Erbland's review continues to point out IF's ineffective explanation of why the IFs were abandoned by their previous owners. Any exploration of the owner's emotional reasons for parting from their imaginary companion is lacking and, unfortunately, the same can be said for IF's protagonist, Bea. Audiences understand the surface of what Bea is experiencing emotionally, but IF's script doesn't go further. Writing about how Bea sets aside her struggles to focus on helping the IFs, The Wrap's William Bibbiani said, "It’s a story about serious feelings but it disengages with most of them, so the escapism doesn’t feel sincere and the drama rings hollow."

2 A Sense Of Magic Is Missing In IF

IF lacks imagination at times despite following around imaginary creatures.

As a result of IF's unaccomplished blend of humor and melancholy, the film doesn't have the strong sense of wonder and magic found in films with a similar premise. The residency of the abandoned IFs and their unique designs are pulled from a child's imagination, but much of IF's fantasy is bogged down by the heavy narrative. Scheck says, "Much of the slapstick involving the IFs feels generic. And when the film shifts into deeper emotional territory it becomes strained in its attempted magic."

Other films IF has been compared to are Paddington and its sequel. Some critics have noted IF's inability to live up to the fantasy and imagination apparent in Paddington and the humans around him. The backgrounds of IF's combination of imaginary creatures are presented in a way that doesn't allow for the sort of childlike imagination that's key to the essence of the film. About Krasinski's venture into creating a family film, A. A. Dowed from IGN writes, "The filmmaker may have written IF for his kids, but he hasn’t sidestepped the failings of so many movies that tell us about the magic of childhood rather than showing us."

1 IF's Emotional Reminders Resonate With Adults

The heavier narrative of IF opens up the story to a wider audience.

There's no denying that IF is emotionally striking. Though the emotions don't often come in the form of laughter as audiences and critics might have anticipated, the heartfelt and nostalgic aspects of IF are admirable even when they overpower the film's lightheartedness. IF from this angle, is likely to have wider approval from the adults in the audience who are encouraged to reconnect with the ways of their inner child. Adrian Horton from The Guardian says, "If is fairly short on actual laughs. Instead, it settles by the end into misty-eyed, mostly earned sweetness, with the evergreen lesson of remembering love and playfulness as you grow up."

In addition, a large part of IF is the comfort found in childlike imagination and playfulness as explored through Bea's emotional journey. IF maturely addresses the inevitable moments of poignancy in life that bits of escapism can help make easier. Bonaime writes about IF's endearing relatability, saying, "The film is decidedly about the stories we tell ourselves to get through the day, where the slightest amount of support and kindness can make the daily tribulations just a bit more manageable."

IF is set to release in theaters on May 17, 2024.

Sources: Deadline, MovieWeb, IndieWire, Collider, Looper, Empire, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, IGN, The Guardian