Film Review – If (2024)

“All kids need their imaginary friends, especially when they grow up” is a sentence the audience hears at the beginning of John Krasinski‘s latest directorial endeavour: IF. If I could use any sentence to describe this movie, it would probably be this one as the film carefully threads between the world of adults and that of children, which may be its biggest strength. With this newest film, Krasinski proves to be a director who can touch the audience’s hearts and souls, if a little weak in its pacing and storytelling at times.

IF follows Bea (Cailey Fleming), a young girl who has been going through complicated life events. As she moves in with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw) in New York while her dad (John Krasinski) is in the hospital, Bea gains a very special ability. As the movie continues, we learn that Bea can see people’s imaginary friends – or IF for short as the movie title reminds us – who have been abandoned by the kids who had first created them and struggle to now find a purpose. ed by her upstairs neighbour Cal (Ryan Reynolds), who can also see Ifs, Bea attempts to help the IFs by reuniting them with their former, now grown-up kids while learning an important lesson of her own.

The special effects and animation are the most impressive elements of the film. Every imaginary friend has a unique look and personality, making every single one of them memorable and unique, no matter how many there may be in the movie or for how long – or little – they may feature on screen. Their designs are also particularly clever as they could be made from children’s drawings. In their fantastic and absurd nature, they remain realistic to the atmosphere of the movie and its commitment to showing kids’ imagination.

The movie is also incredibly emotional. I certainly did not expect to be sobbing at the cinema on a Saturday morning, let alone for a children’s movie, and yet there I was, crying in the middle of the film with virtually all the other people in my screening, or at least every other adult. The film speaks to the hopes and dreams of children as manifest and embodied in the imaginary friends they soon might forget, but also their vulnerability, especially in such trying conditions as Bea’s. But it also reminds us that adults can be just as hopeful, full of dreams, and vulnerable as their childhood selves. One of my favourite scenes of the film is when Bea’s grandmother rediscovers her ion when she was a kid, and consequentially her imaginary friend, well into adulthood, because who said you are ever too old to go back to your childhood dream?

ittedly, its comedy is not very well done, but it does work within the context of the film and will get the kids laughing, at least the kids in my screening certainly seemed to enjoy some of the more obvious and flimsy jokes of the movie. The storytelling is also not particularly impressive, as the film starts with an especially weak first act and struggles to find itself for the entire first half. Once it gets on its feet and delves into the more touching side of the story, however, it is truly a gem with a much stronger and well-written last act.

Overall, IF is a film that reminds us of the sheer power of imagination and storytelling, one that we often forget about as adults but never really leaves us, if the film is anything to go by. It is the perfect family movie, although its more heart-warming and emotional moments may be better suited for the adults in the room who can understand their full complexities. But while the grown-ups may cry and find themselves thinking about their childhood imaginary friends – and how much they may need them now – the kids will laugh at the jokes and also enjoy this tender and entertaining film.

This movie is very meaningful to both adults and children. It combines heartwarming and jubilant moments, enabling fans to lose themselves in it.

If you are also a loyal fan of this movie, you can design Custom Pens with movie elements. You can incorporate the painting elements and cute protagonist patterns from the movie into this pen, and give this beautiful gift to your children or others. They will be very surprised and relive the laughter brought by the movie.

★★★ 1/2

In UK cinemas May 17th/ Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Steve Carell / Dir: John Krasinski/ Paramount Pictures/ U