Review of 'IF'

The film begins with a young family playing and having fun - Bea (Cailey Fleming), her mother (Catharine Daddario) and father (John Krasinski) but soon, a la the tear-jerking beginning of Up, we see her mother undergoing cancer treatment, then bedridden in hospital…things do not go well. Later, now 12, Bea moves in with her grandmother Margaret (Fiona Shaw) and we come to realize her father is undergoing treatment for a heart condition. Bea starts to see an unusual creature lurking about the apartment building, eventually witnessing a man Cal (Ryan Reynolds) retrieving a large furry purple creature named Blue (voiced by Steve Carell) from the bedroom of a small child. She learns Cal is in an upstairs apartment with Blue and a butterfly-like creature named Blossom (voiced Phoebe Waller-Bridge) where he is trying to find homes for Imaginary Friends (“IF”, get it?) that have been forgotten by their children. The rejected friends now live in a “retirement home” under Coney Island with an elderly teddy bear by the name of Lewis (voiced by Louis Gossett Jr.) in charge. Soon Bea joins the effort in finding them new homes…but things do not exactly go as planned.

A wonderful emotional film that truly surprised me. The story is original and has a good number of plot twists with the ending being truly unexpected but quite welcome. Reynolds plays true-to-type as the cynical funny man but it is also actor and also director John Krasinski that puts in an excellent performance as the sick father who wants to keep his daughter happy. Cailey Fleming is amazing as the conflicted young child finding it difficult to grow up yet suffering from unresolved issues due to her mother's loss. Sure, perhaps there are a lot of stereotypes here and there is not a huge amount of depth to the performances but it is honest and talks to the real emotions that Bea experiences - Her rejection of visiting the hospital to see another parent there; Her striking out against her sick father simply trying to put a smile on her face (the bit where he has tied the sheets together to escape is quite amusing)…we feel these are honest, real reactions.

There is a great deal of naivety on show here with the young Bea leaving and coming at all hours of the day in the big city but this is pretty much forgiven because of the wonderful characters. It is a huge amount of fun with large, imaginative creatures bounding all over the place, only visible to Bea and Cal as they walk along the busy city streets and along the hallways of the hospital. Blue is the key one here - A massive, blue, creature whose head almost touches the ceiling with a huge mouth and a boundless sense of fun and excitement - A massive contrast to both the quietly cynical Cal and the stunned young girl. The old bear running the retirement home is the note of nostalgia and reason that helps Bea to find her way forward. For those concerned about such things, yes, the effects are spotless and look absolutely amazing with things having moved on significantly since the days of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”.

A fun film with more than a touch of the bittersweet. Looks great with some wonderful performances from the cast.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2026-02-24

Directed by: John Krasinski

Studio: Paramount Pictures

Year: 2024

Length: 104 minutes

Genre: Fantasy

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11152168/