After John Krasinski turned A Quiet Place into an unexpected horror hit, the actor and filmmaker got free reign to explore other corners of his vivid imagination. Sadly, IF is mostly a messy misfire.
On the surface, IF has a reasonably simple concept. In the movie’s universe, imaginary friends aka “IF” are autonomous creatures brought to life by children with creative minds. Once the children grow old and no longer need their IF, they forget their imaginary friends. Usually, the only people who can see the IF that populate the planet are the children who need them. However, Bea (Cailey Fleming) is a special girl who learns she can see the creatures after moving to her grandmother’s (Fiona Shaw) house. Quite quickly, Bea joins forces with the IF caretaker, Cal (Ryan Reynolds), to find them new loving homes.
From its synopsis, IF is supposed to be a straightforward family movie that can delight people of all ages looking for entertainment. Unfortunately, the film tries to juggle too many things, hindering its ability to leave a lasting impression.
The first and most prominent flaw of IF is how it fails to explain the rules governing its titular creatures. The movie spends a considerable chunk of its runtime introducing new adorable monsters and exploring how imaginary friends interact with humans. However, by the time the credits roll, it’s still impossible to know precisely where imaginary friends come from, what’s their ultimate fate, and what exactly is their connection to flesh and bone people.
It’s even more unnerving that none of the movie’s characters seem concerned with these questions, as Bea and other humans just accept the unbelievable things they go through without ever wondering why or how. It’s evident from IF’s plot that Krasinski has too many ideas to spare. Maybe because of that, his script can’t go beyond shallow and superficial worldbuilding.
The lack of internal coherence is particularly damaging in a fantasy, in which suspending disbelief is essential to appreciate a story. Without set rules, a fantasy movie struggles to grab the public’s attention, as instead of enjoying the narrative, the audience wonders why senseless things keep popping up on the silver screen for no reason. On that note, IF is a complete failure, as its story twists and turns too often, leaving behind plot holes the size of craters.
That happens because Krasinski is trying to make two different movies simultaneously. On one level, IF is a complex story about childhood trauma and the beautiful ways the mind finds to cope with pain. As that might be too hard for children to digest, the story gets dumbed down to a series of colorful but ultimately disconnected CGI set pieces that are only fun to watch if you turn your brain off and accept nothing is supposed to make sense.
The constant need to simplify IF’s plot also leads to uncomfortable clichés. For instance, Bea’s emotional journey is frequently reduced to a series of readymade dialogues spit out by the main characters. This creative decision adds even more hiccups to a story that struggles with its flow, transforming the experience from forgettable to annoying. It’s a shame as Krasinski had something exceptional on his hands. IF could work as a breezy distraction for children or as a layered investigation of the incredible reach of human imagination. But the movie struggles to do both simultaneously, to the point where it fails to accomplish anything.
Some of the movie’s imaginary friends also reflect the tonal discrepancy IF suffers from. While the movie vastly differs from Krasinski’s previous exploration of horror, it has its fair share of creepy moments and characters. While these elements are introduced in a comedic way, they can also raise some eyebrows, as it’s hard to think any children would imagine those creatures. Their presence could be interpreted as a treat for adults accompanying children into the theater, as parents and legal guardians can enjoy more mature jokes while enduring a painfully bland movie. However, since they contradict the story’s core concept, they become another unwelcome dissonance factor.
The weirdness of it all is amplified by the fact that we only get to know a few imaginary friends in the movie. Without individual goals or well-defined personalities, most imaginary friends blend together in a chaotic rainbow-colored background. Plus, since most of them disappear from the screen as fast as they show up, there’s no time to create any connection. That’s baffling, to say the least, as IF wastes the voice talents of Hollywood stars such as Awkwafina, Emily Blunt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Sam Rockwell, Brad Pitt, and Bradley Cooper.
Amid the chaos, Fleming delivers a surprisingly captivating performance. That said, she has been obviously miscast as no one can believe, even for a second, that Bea is only 12 years old. So, even when Fleming is pouring her heart and soul to make Bea stand out, it’s hard to view this relatively mature actress as an innocent child learning to deal with her emotions.
The remaining of IF’s performances are a mixed bag. Reynolds, for instance, is just a grumpy cardboard put into the shooting set to contrast with Bea’s increasing positivity. Shaw, on the other hand, steals the scene every time she appears. As for Steve Carell, even when he’s present only in voice, the legendary star elevates any movie with his magnetic personality.
Despite everything, IF still has an undeniable charm. Krasinski has proved time and time again he’s a great director, even when he struggles with scriptwriting. So, while IF is a mess, it’s a highly polished mess. In addition, it’s lovely to realize how far Krasinski’s imagination can go as he conjures unexpected images. No one can deny IF has the heart to spare, which might buy the movie some goodwill. Still, it’s not enough to be passionate about a project; you must deliver a satisfying execution for people to fill the theater seats. That’s not the case with Krasinski’s latest, as the filmmaker didn’t find the right way to tie together all the ideas he wanted to fit into a single movie.
