Imagination and creativity are pivotal parts of a kid’s childhood. With their inventive dreams, many kids turn to imaginary friends for support and guidance throughout their early years.
The film Imaginary follows Jessica (DeWanda Wise), her husband Max (Tom Payne), and her two stepdaughters Alice (Pyper Braun) and Taylor (Taegen Burns) as they look for a place to settle down. The family returns to Jessica’s childhood home, and Alice makes an imaginary friend bear, Chauncey Bear (Dane DiLiegro) once they move in. As the film progresses, Jessica learns more about her stepdaughter’s supposed friend, which unravels a supernatural plot which the family must face.
Director Jeff Wadlow brought life to Imaginary through the camera work and color design choices. The color grading throughout the film, though dark at times, properly set the scene and created a visually attractive piece of artwork that clashed well with the story’s tones. While in Chauncey Bear’s ‘other world,’ Taylor nearly loses her life in a tense back and forth between herself and the villainous bear. In her escape, Wadlow decides to place the audience in the shoes of Taylor. Choices like these further immerses the viewers in the movie, and make for a captivating viewing experience.
All the actors brought the film to life with their portrayals of their characters. Jessica’s feelings and thoughts are shone through Wise’s acting, even in scenes where she did not speak. In high-tension scenes, Wise realistically and captivatingly conveys Jessica’s stress and terror through facial expressions. Burns and Braun played their roles with enthusiasm and accuracy, with Taylor’s distaste for her stepmother and Alice’s childlike nature feeling authentic due to the actresses’ performances.
Despite its name, Imaginary’s creative nature fell flat. The film’s visual beauty and lively acting could not make up for the story’s poor world-building and messy execution. The film directly tells the audience the past of Chauncey Bear and the supernatural circumstances rather than trusting the viewers to conclude on their own. Using Gloria (Betty Buckley), the family’s neighbour and Jessica’s former babysitter, Imaginary hands explanations to the viewers on a silver platter, sucking the mystery out of the film. Gloria details the history of Chauncey Bear and his story and explains why he exists, rather than allowing audiences to decide for themselves what is going on.
Though the acting, camera work, and visual effects bring the film to life, it can not make up for the story’s poor world-building, weak execution, and the film’s lack of trust for audiences.
Imaginary released with generally negative reviews on March 8, 2024. The film received a 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, and will release on Starz and Peacock in due time.
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