IF Review: Faith Your Fears

John Krasinski‘s IF, an acronym that stands for “Imaginary Friend,” is never quite as calculatedly maudlin as the death of the imaginary Bing Bong in Inside Out, but it’s almost as tear-jerking — that it seems more sincere about it and less formulaic may be a matter of opinion. It’s technically an original IP, but fans of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends may pick some nits. That animated series had one of its imaginary creatures named Bloo, and another a large purple monster, while IF features a large purple monster named Blue (Steve Carell)…the joke being that a colorblind kid named him, presumably after watching Monsters, Inc. Speaking of monsters, there are also echoes aplenty of A Monster Calls, though the tone is decidedly less dark. Imaginary friends here are primarily designed to help their kids through trauma, like the death (or potential thereof) of a parent.

Bea Good

Poor Bea (Cailey Fleming, best known as Judith Grimes on The Walking Dead), might be in line for a twofer. Her mother (Catharine Daddario) is dead from unspecified circumstances; her dad (Krasinski) is in hospital for a mysterious condition that has him appearing completely healthy and energetic but in line for a life-threatening procedure. Like other plot and logic gaps throughout the movie, the non-specificity of the illness could either be a casualty of cut explanatory scenes, dream/children’s book logic, or both.

In any case, it’s best to just go with it. IF’s greatest weakness is that it doesn’t necessarily explain how its fantastical elements happen, how Bea seems to know exactly what to do, or even what parts of what we’re seeing are real or dreams/imagination. Its greatest strength is that if you connect with it on an emotional level, none of that matters much.

Page Turner

There’s a show-stopper of a musical number in the middle of the movie that features Bea redesigning an imaginary retirement home with her imagination, set to Tina Turner’s “Better Be Good to Me,” featuring Busby Berkeley-styled choreography as well as a digital and body-doubled Ms. Turner. Its effect on the plot is minimal, though it puts Ryan Reynolds through a special-effects wringer like MTV once did to Peter Gabriel. But it’s visually spectacular, heart-stirring, and not the only setpiece in the film to suggest Krasinski should try a musical next. If it doesn’t win you over, nothing else here will, but if it does, you’re putty in the movie’s hands from there on.

[Interrogating the idea of Tina Turner, or any real famous person, as an imaginary friend, is not a place IF is willing to commit to going, though it seems like potentially fertile ground. Perhaps in a sequel.]

Reynolds plays Cal, an upstairs neighbor who can see all the IFs, and tries to match them with new kids once their old ones outgrow them. He’s a bit of a curmudgeon, like Robin Williams at the beginning of Hook, repressing his natural comedic skills while Krasinski plays wacky dad and delivers the kinds of jokes and gags Reynolds normally would. If that seems like odd counter-casting, let’s just say that without spoiling, there’s sort of a reason for it. And it’s not unrelated to the fact that 12-year-old Bea frequently has to decide whether she is or isn’t still a kid.

Odd’s Not Dead

On some level, all movies about imaginary friends, be they wacky creatures like the IFs or magical figures like Santa and the Tooth Fairy, feel like they’re actually about faith, and able to approach the concept in a way formal faith-based movies can’t for fear of being labeled blasphemous. They feature characters who are often invisible, particularly to characters who deem themselves supremely rational and realistic, yet restore joy and make you powerful if you can just believe in them again.

Justification by faith is at the heart of many religions; to the extent that the characters need to perform any particular actions to restore faith, they’re justifying by works also. Deities and IFs are both sources of consolation in times of great need and loss — if you happen to believe in a sentient toasted marshmallow as your best friend rather than Jesus, folks can disagree about the state of your eternal soul, but the comfort factor can work the same way.

Holy Diver

As a parable for religion lost and found, IF finds its resonance, without walloping the viewer in the face like a Pure Flix joint. Well, except for a couple of moments: Faces’ “Ooh La La” is as on-the-nose a song choice as “God’s Not Dead,” and from here on out, opening sequences made up of fake faded home movies ought to be outright banned, or at least warned about in the MPAA rating description.

The IFs may be voiced by a distracting parade of A-lister cameos — Carell and Phoebe Waller-Bridge get the most time, while the late Louis Gossett Jr. adds gravitas as an elderly teddy bear — but Fleming provides the movie with its real star power. Already a Star Wars (young Rey) and Marvel (young Sylvie) veteran, her ability to convincingly imagine makes her perfect for both the character of Bea and CG spectacles like this one. May she never lose that belief.

Grade: 3.5/5

IF opens May 17 in theaters.