Poignant fantasy about loss and the power of imagination.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
Depicted gently through a montage of Bea's moments with her loving parents, it's revealed that her mom has cancer (she's shown wearing headscarves and in hospital rooms)—and viewers will understand that she has died. Six years later, Bea's dad is having heart problems that require surgery. There are also a few "hop" scares (tamer than true jump scares), and the landlady appearing in the hallway at night is meant to be a little creepy but not truly frightening. Blue is a very large monster but also gentle and nonthreatening. One IF is a talking marshmallow over a flame who's melting while he's talking, which makes Calvin pretend to throw up. There are moments throughout that would be worrisome in real life but are positioned here in a way to remove concern, such as 12-year-old Bea going all over New York with a 45-year-old stranger, and the same man sneaking into a little girl's bedroom while she's sleeping.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
All of the characters, both live and imaginary, show positive traits. Bea is a curious, kind, artistic, well-intentioned 12-year-old who wants to help the IFs find happiness. Calvin is grumpy, and while he acts like he resents his job, he's clearly committed to helping forgotten IFs find new child companions. Elizabeth's dad is caring and funny, always striving to make a serious situation light. Benjamin is a 9-year-old who doesn't let his troubles get him down; he's upbeat and easygoing, even though he's in the hospital (and with no TV!). Louis, an elderly teddy bear who was once the leader of the IF program, teaches Bea how to access memories. IF assistant Blossom is calm, level-headed, hopeful, truthful, trying to help Bea realize her potential. Blue is sweet, perseverant, optimistic, always willing to try.
Positive Messages
some
We all have a purpose, and when we're able to fulfill that, and help others, it brings joy. Also, you're not alone—but parents and caregivers may want to discuss how that translates in their personal belief system. Most kids will likely see IFs as a fantasy creation and leave it at that, but others may see them as guardian angels or relatives who've passed and are watching over us.
Diverse Representations
a little
The story follows 12-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming), who's confident and independent. Bea and her family, as well as other main human characters, are White; supporting character Benjamin is played by Korean American actor Alan Kim. Black women appear in somewhat clichéd supporting roles (kind hospital nurse, receptionist). Some of the IFs are voiced by actors of color, including Maya Rudolph as Alligator and Louis Gossett Jr. as wise teddy bear Lewis, who was once the leader of the IF program and now teaches Bea how to access memories.
Imagination is presented as a coping mechanism. Distress-tolerance skills are demonstrated, showing that the five senses can be used to bring someone to a comforting and familiar internal space to manage overwhelming emotions.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that IF is a live-action/animated fantasy starring Ryan Reynolds that explores the idea of what happens to our forgotten imaginary friends (IFs). That might sound a little sad, and it is: After losing their connection to children as they grow, the IFs end up living in a retirement home, listless and abandoned. Also sad—but handled gently through a montage (not unlike the one in Up)—is the fact that 12-year-old main character Bea's (Cailey Fleming) loving mother has died, and now her good-natured dad (John Krasinski, who also writes and directs) is in the hospital. But Bea is distracted from her worry by busying herself with purposeful work (helping the IFs) and learns that accessing familiar music, smells, sights, and tastes can bring her back to a happy memory or feeling and help calm anxious or overwhelming emotions. Only very young or sensitive kids are likely to be distressed by the mild scares, like a character appearing out of nowhere or a creepyish neighbor who steps into the hallway at night. And while another key character, Blue (voiced by Steve Carell) is a giant purple monster, viewers will quickly understand that he's as huggable and nonthreatening as a giant stuffed animal. Mild language includes "butt," "what the hell," "good God!," and one "damn." All of the characters, both live and imaginary, demonstrate positive traits, and there are clear themes of curiosity, compassion, and teamwork. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
My family enjoyed this movie; however, it would have been great if the script didn’t call for the cast and characters to flippantly use God’s name. There was absolutely no need. I know in today’s world people don’t even realize they are saying His name. It didn’t add anything to the movie. I would appreciate His name only being used to honor Him.
Like ordering mac n’ cheese for your kid, but it ends up being a mature version, with bleu cheese, head-on shrimp, and veggies instead of macaroni.
This is a movie for tweens and older. It’s not a comedy and it’s not a kids movie. It’s a sentimental semi-artsy atmosphere piece with a slow pace. It’s ultimately about a 12 year old girl’s tragic loss, and the semi-fun/magical world that helps her cope through it.
My 7 yr old daughter and 5 yr old son were both bored at several points. 90 minutes in, I was checking my watch and wondering when it was going to be over too. The funny moments in the preview are the sum of all funny moments in the film. The marketing did this film a disservice by setting the wrong expectation. Given a more correct expectation, and for a more appropriate audience, it’s a good movie on its own merits.
Also, I found it oddly insensitive for a movie (supposedly) aimed at young people to have probably 25 instances of “Oh my G*d!” and often from the cartoon characters themselves. They could have used silly/funny statements of exasperation instead and got a few more laughs, but they went all in on something that a lot of kids in the target audience aren’t even allowed to say (whether for spiritual reasons or because it’s impolite and “not something the queen would say”).
For some, that sort of thing can feel deeply unpleasant and insensitive. Not understanding the spiritual beliefs of a certain culture does not invalidate them. We all get deep meaning from different things, and what’s helpful for one person may or may not be for another. But we’re all on the same human team, and respecting what others hold as valuable is how we get to peace, love and mutual respect.
What's the Story?
In IF, 12-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming) stays with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw) in her Brooklyn apartment while Bea's father (John Krasinski) undergoes heart surgery. Bea hasn't visited the apartment since her mother's death six years earlier. After spotting an unusual creature who lives with the upstairs neighbor, Calvin (Ryan Reynolds), Bea learns that imaginary friends (IFs, for short) are real. She ends up taking a job to help the IFs who've been left behind as their children have grown—but it turns out that they're really helping her, because imaginary friends are coping mechanisms.
Writer-director and co-star Krasinski's imaginative fantasy is poignant and full of wonder. It's magical, giving off E.T.vibes, and Reynolds' Calvin is reminiscent of Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka, a quirky pessimist who's outwardly discouraging while secretly rooting for the kid to figure out the puzzle. And, like both E.T. and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the curiosity-meets-melancholy score in IF is central to understanding that while Bea is acting tough, she's also facing something terrifying: the potential death of her father, only a few years after the loss of her mother. It's a lot, but the movie artfully avoids overplaying viewers' emotions. It also serves an important purpose, demonstrating how imagination isn't just a creative outlet, but also a powerful coping mechanism.
Bea's journey with the IFs is ultimately rewarding, even though—it has to be said—the beginning does drag a bit. But when IF hits its stride, it becomes a mind-bending, eye-popping, musical extravaganza that's truly unforgettable. (The movie is worth seeing for that bit alone.) Teens may think the imaginary friend story will be too babyish for them, but even they may be swayed by its sweetness. And for families of elementary school-aged kids and tweens, IF makes for a simply enchanting movie night.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how imagination is made into a character in IF. Can you think of other examples of locations or nonliving things being made into characters? What does that mean, exactly?
How do you currently (or how did you used to) play out wild scenarios using your imagination? Did you have imaginary friends? Did that fade? How can we keep our imagination active, and how does that help us throughout life?
Discuss the technique used in the movie to access memories. How can accessing a happy, familiar feeling or space help us calm down?
What does it mean to have "purpose"? How do Bea's curiosity and compassion lead her to discover her purpose? Why does doing purpose-driven work bring fulfillment?
How is Calvin able to realize what isn't working with his IF program once he starts working with Bea as a team? Why is teamwork an important skill? Do you consider anyone in the film a role model? Why, or why not?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
