This review was made possible by an advance screening of IF. IF releases in theaters on May 17, 2024.
John Krasinski has proven that he has range when it comes to directing. From directing A Quiet Place, which has now spawned its own franchise, to now, directing a film which pleases audiences of both kids and adults combined, nailing hard-hitting facts about how we all treat the essence of childhood is an outstanding achievement.
IF initially looked like a fun film with your typical Ryan Reynolds performance, but it’s so much more when you look deeper into the bigger story that Krasinski is trying to tell with this film. The film follows twelve-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming), who has been going through a hard time in her life. One day, she unexpectedly gains the ability to see everyone’s imaginary friends (IFs for short), who had all been abandoned by their kids once they turned into adults. Bea befriends her neighbour, Cal (Ryan Reynolds), who has the same ability as her. Together, they form a duo to help reunite the IFs with their former kids.
‘IF’s Leading Lady, Cailey Fleming
Bea is twelve, and legally, she’s a child. Her father also treats her like one, trying to hide her from the reality that he’s unwell in an attempt to distract her. His playful tactics don’t work on her, as she’s already accepted at a young age that not everything in life will bring you smiles – this is very important later on in the film with her development, and I was truly surprised to find out that her character was fleshed out and wasn’t just your stereotypical child protagonist who serves the purpose of moving the film along, usually leaving those characters to be two-dimensional, but Bea is the complete opposite of that.
From the film’s marketing, IF seems like this jolly film, which is all about these CG creatures reuniting with the kids that created them, but the opening scene of the film shows that Bea’s life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as she loses her mother to cancer and her dad becomes hospitalised.
Bea’s character development is also enhanced by Cailey Fleming’s performance, known for her role as Judith Grimes in The Walking Dead, in which she also gives an amazing performance. At such a young age, she provides a defining performance that stands out from the rest of the cast, taking the lead and allowing actors such as Ryan Reynolds to go off her performance, providing us with great chemistry between the two.
The actor is usually known for not having much range with his acting, though this isn’t an issue as his personality works for most of his roles – the same can be said for IF, but with the nature of the film, he’s sometimes able to bring this heartwarming feeling to his character; a sense of joy to the screen in moments where all hope feels lost.
The Imaginary Friends
For a film about imaginary friends, you can imagine (pun fully intended) that there are a lot of imaginary friends throughout the film, all with unique designs that stand apart from each other. These unique designs are all accompanied by a stellar voice cast that ranges from the likes of Steve Carrell to Awkwafina, the latter who recently appeared in Dreamwork’s Kung Fu Panda 4, which since releasing I became tired of the actor in what felt like sounding the same in every appearance, but it is IF that allows for that level of talent as it truly doesn’t matter what an imaginary friend sounds like; I even struggled to recognise that it was her at first, so there’s some improvement.
The rest of the voice cast does a magnificent job of bringing these characters to life and providing them with personalities that once again make these characters unique. It’s also impressive how so many characters, with what feels like various animation styles, can all blend so well with the acting and the scenery. The composition is phenomenal and should be the standard for films that blend animation with reality.
The Story At The Heart of ‘IF’
I can only praise the writing so much but it is a phenomenal script that really shows how the creativity that allows us to create imaginary friends for ourselves as a child, doesn’t leave us once we’re adults, it shows that it’s something that people suppress deep inside once they reach a certain age. Something that I liked from the story was the idea that kids no longer see their imaginary friends when they don’t need them. The film never dives into what counts for that category but it becomes quite noticeable that the IFs are seen as childish, especially when Bea continuously states at the start of the film that she’s not a kid herself and it becomes noticeable that she doesn’t have an IF, something touched on in the film.
‘IF’ – Final Thoughts
IF is a beautiful reminder that we don’t stop being children once we’re adults; it’s something that’s deep within us, and it teaches you that you should never be scared to embrace that feeling. It tells the story from Bea’s eyes, becoming almost a coming of age, showing us that life is not always easy and that sometimes we have to go through difficult situations, but you can always use your imagination, your creativity, and the inner child that you still have to lessen those hard blows and get you through the rest.
It’s a fun and hilarious film with unforgettable set pieces, but it also teaches a life lesson to kids and adults—not to forget who they are. IF sets its tone with the Paramount intro being drawn with the kid, showing us how much fun Bea is having and also showing how quickly that can all come to a halt. It’s a film for the whole family to enjoy, and it’s one that will remind parents of their childhood.
IF releases in theaters on May 17. Check out the trailer below.
