“IF” is a cinematic misfire of epic proportions. It has been a long time since I’ve completely disliked a movie so much from start to finish, and this lackluster attempt at conjuring up magic suffers from a thin, uninspired story despite a premise that should be bursting with creativity and wonder. Writer, director, and co-star John Krasinski manages to drain every ounce of enchantment from his fantasy concept, and his film fails to deliver on every front.
“IF” tells the story of preteen girl Bea (a delightful Cailey Fleming), who is going through a very difficult time. Having lost her mother to illness years earlier, her dad (Krasinski) is now in the hospital for a heart operation. She’s temporarily living with her grandmother and, despite putting on a brave face, is carrying some pretty heavy emotional weight for a kid. One day, Bea begins to see everyone’s former imaginary friends (known as IFs), all who have been left behind after their humans grew up. With the help of Cal (Ryan Reynolds), who runs the retirement home for IFs, Bea tries her best to reunite the IFs with their former kids — because even adults need a little bit of magic in their lives.
It’s a very simple story that feels like a tired rehash of themes already explored in movies and television shows like “Monsters Inc.” and “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,” and it comes across as a shameless rip-off of the two. Theoretically, there should be endless possibilities when creating a world filled with imaginary companions, but Krasinski’s ideas never take off. The animation is bright and colorful, and the abandoned pals are admittedly cute. The casting is terrific, with an especially heartfelt performance from Fleming, and the voice performances (from well-known actors like Steve Carell, Maya Rudolph, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jon Stewart, Awkwafina, Richard Jenkins, and Louis Gossett Jr., among others) are strong. But these few redeeming qualities are overshadowed by the even bigger flaws.
Perhaps the most baffling aspect of the film is the studio’s questionable decision to market itself to children. With themes of death, illness, and abandonment looming large throughout the film, it’s astonishing that the studio would think this is suitable for a young audience. The result is a disjointed mess that tries to balance playfulness with heavy-handed adult themes, ultimately failing to resonate with either demographic.
Krasinski tends to lean on Michael Giacchino‘s original score to do much of the substantial lifting, overusing it to the point where I still cannot get it out of my head days later. In what can only be described as a desperate attempt to inject a whimsical element into the story, he insists on using it in the background of nearly every single scene. It’s irritating, overused, and repetitive, and it’s one of the worst things about the film.
And then there’s the elephant in the room. You can’t see this film without discussing it, so I am warning readers now that spoilers lie ahead. If you do not want the movie plot spoiled for you, stop reading now (or skip the next paragraph).
Let’s talk about the overall “ick” factor at play here. It’s downright creepy that a 12 year old little girl is running around with a grown man. Even worse, he dresses like a clown and gives her balloon animal “gifts.” I understand Cal is “imaginary,” but he manifests as a human adult who has physical contact with Bea (hand holding, hugging, etc.). I’m not saying that it’s never acceptable that a preteen girl have a relationship with an adult, it just comes across as extremely unsettling here. Krasinski probably thinks that by casting the harmless, charming Reynolds in the role makes this a non-issue, but just imagine if someone else stepped into the character’s shoes. It’s impossible to ignore the uncomfortable implications of their dynamic, and it’s a narrative choice that reeks of poor judgment all around. This could’ve been avoided by making Calvin animated like the other IFs, for example.
Despite a nice sentiment that makes the film’s last 20 minutes its strongest, “IF” squanders its potential at every turn. With its lack of imagination and misguided marketing, this is a head-scratching letdown.
