John Krasinski’s heartfelt tribute to imagination is sweet but struggles to find its footing
As a Ryan Reynolds fan, I knew I was watching IF no matter what. The man could be in a two-hour film about watching paint dry and I’d probably still show up. But beyond that loyalty, I was genuinely curious about what John Krasinski would do with this concept. Imaginary friends left behind by kids who grew up? That’s a premise with real emotional potential. And I’ll say this upfront: IF has its heart in exactly the right place, even if it doesn’t always know what to do with that heart.
The movie follows Bea, played wonderfully by Cailey Fleming, a 12-year-old girl going through an incredibly difficult time. Her mother has already passed away, and now her father is in the hospital for heart surgery. While staying with her grandmother Margaret, played by the delightful Fiona Shaw, in her old Brooklyn apartment building, Bea starts seeing something impossible: imaginary friends. Not just any imaginary friends, but forgotten ones whose kids have grown up and stopped believing in them.
She meets Cal, her grandmother’s downstairs neighbor played by Ryan Reynolds, who has been secretly running a matchmaking service for these abandoned IFs, trying to pair them with new children before they fade away completely. Together, Bea and Cal embark on a mission to find homes for these lost imaginary friends, visiting a retirement home underneath a Coney Island swing ride where dozens of IFs live in a kind of melancholic limbo.
Let me start with what works beautifully. The imaginary friends themselves are absolutely fantastic. The character designs are creative, memorable, and genuinely charming. There’s Blue, a big purple furry creature voiced by Steve Carell who becomes the emotional anchor of the film. There’s Blossom, a butterfly ballerina IF voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The retirement home is packed with incredible designs: a unicorn with a pink and green mane voiced by Emily Blunt, an ice cube in a glass of water voiced by Bradley Cooper, a sunflower in a plaid suit voiced by Matt Damon, and literally dozens more voiced by everyone from George Clooney to Blake Lively to Amy Schumer.
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The voice cast is genuinely one of the most stacked I’ve ever seen in a family film. Krasinski clearly called in every favor he had, and it shows. Each IF, even the ones with just seconds of screen time, feels distinct and thoughtfully created. These aren’t just random cartoon characters thrown on screen, they feel like actual products of children’s imaginations.
Cailey Fleming is the real star here. She carries the entire emotional weight of this film on her young shoulders and does it with such sincerity and sweetness that you can’t help but root for her. Bea is dealing with grief, fear, and the pressure of growing up too fast, and Fleming makes all of that feel authentic without ever being cloying. Her journey provides some genuinely touching and heartfelt moments.
Now, about Ryan Reynolds. He’s doing something different here, and I respect that. This isn’t Deadpool Ryan or Free Guy Ryan or even Detective Pikachu Ryan. He’s toned down the sarcasm and wisecracks considerably, playing Cal as more melancholic and world-weary. Some might say he’s doing the bare minimum, just coasting on his natural charm. And honestly? There’s some truth to that. But he’s still engaging enough to watch, and his scenes with Fleming have a nice chemistry. As a fan, I enjoyed seeing him try something a bit more subdued, even if it doesn’t showcase his strengths the way his other roles do.
But here’s where the movie starts to struggle. The tone is all over the place. Krasinski can’t seem to decide if he’s making a whimsical adventure for kids or a melancholic meditation on grief and growing up for adults. The result is a film that feels surprisingly downbeat and sentimental for a children’s movie, but too simplistic and shallow for grown-ups looking for depth.
The pacing is also an issue. For a movie about imagination and wonder, it moves surprisingly slowly. There are stretches where not much happens, where we’re just following Bea and Cal trying to match IFs with random kids in ways that never really work. The worldbuilding feels half-baked. The rules about how IFs work, why some people can see them and others can’t, what happens when they’re forgotten, it’s all frustratingly vague. The movie gestures at having a logical system but then just shrugs and moves on.
The humor is hit or miss. I’d seen the trailer so many times that a lot of the biggest jokes fell flat because I’d already heard them. But there are still plenty of amusing and cute moments sprinkled throughout. It’s just not as funny as you’d expect from a movie starring Ryan Reynolds and featuring this many comedy legends doing voice work.
Where IF really succeeds is in its heart. John Krasinski clearly made this as a love letter to childhood imagination and to his own daughters. You can feel the personal nature of this project in every frame. The movie genuinely believes in the power of imagination, in the importance of holding onto childlike wonder even as we grow up. That earnestness is both its greatest strength and occasionally its weakness, because sometimes the sentiment gets laid on a bit thick.
There’s a twist in the third act that I won’t spoil, but it recontextualizes everything you’ve been watching. Some people loved it and found it deeply moving. Others felt it was manipulative and didn’t earn its emotional payoff. I landed somewhere in the middle. It’s touching and adds layers to what came before, but it also raises questions about logic that the movie doesn’t really want to address.
Visually, the film is lovely. The blend of live action and CGI characters works well, and the IFs feel genuinely present in the scenes rather than pasted in later. The production design of the retirement home and the various locations has a classical, almost old-fashioned quality that’s refreshing in today’s blockbuster landscape.
The emotional beats do land at times. While it didn’t quite get me to cry, there are moments that genuinely tug at the heartstrings. If you’re a parent watching this with your kids, or if you’re someone who’s dealt with loss or illness in your family, certain scenes will hit harder. Krasinski knows how to find those quiet emotional moments, even if the script around them isn’t always as strong as it needs to be.
IF follows 12-year-old Bea, who is staying with her grandmother in Brooklyn while her father undergoes heart surgery. Still grieving her mother’s death, Bea discovers she can see imaginary friends, beings created by children who have since grown up and forgotten them. She meets Cal, a mysterious neighbor who has been trying to match these forgotten IFs with new children to keep them from disappearing forever. Together, they visit Memory Lane Retirement Home, where dozens of abandoned IFs live in hope of finding new kids to believe in them. As Bea helps the IFs, she’s also processing her own fears about losing her father and the pressure of growing up. The film explores themes of imagination, loss, healing, and the importance of holding onto childlike wonder even in difficult times.
My Rating: 6.5/10
IF is a well-intentioned film with a fantastic premise, incredible voice cast, and genuine heart. Cailey Fleming is wonderful, the imaginary friends are beautifully designed, and there are moments of real emotional resonance. But the tonal imbalance, slow pacing, and muddled worldbuilding keep it from reaching its full potential. It’s perfectly fine family entertainment that will likely mean more to parents than kids, but it doesn’t quite ignite the fires of imagination the way you hope it would.
Perfect for: Ryan Reynolds fans willing to see him in a more subdued role, John Krasinski fans, families looking for wholesome entertainment with emotional depth, parents who want to share something about imagination with their kids, anyone nostalgic for their own childhood imaginary friends, viewers who don’t mind slower-paced family films with heart over humor.
Bottom line: IF is the definition of a movie with its heart in the right place. John Krasinski made something personal and earnest, a tribute to imagination and childhood that genuinely believes in its message. The cast is incredible, with some of the most creative imaginary friend designs I’ve seen on screen. Cailey Fleming delivers a performance well beyond her years, anchoring the emotional journey with grace.
But the execution doesn’t quite match the ambition. The tonal confusion between kids’ adventure and adults’ grief meditation leaves the film stuck in an awkward middle ground that fully satisfies neither audience. The pacing drags when it should soar, and the worldbuilding raises more questions than it answers. As a Ryan Reynolds fan, I’m glad I watched it, even if it’s not the showcase for his talents that other films have been. It’s a noble effort that achieves moments of beauty and genuine emotion, even if the overall package feels incomplete. Your kids will probably enjoy it, and you might find yourself getting misty-eyed at unexpected moments, but don’t expect the next great Pixar-level masterpiece.
Wanna watch it?
You can stream IF on Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM Plus, and Philo. It’s also available to rent or purchase on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, and Microsoft Store.
As a Reynolds fan, it’s worth a watch. Just adjust your expectations accordingly.