IF (2024)
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A young girl discovers a hidden world of imaginary friends who have been left behind by the children who outgrew them.
The story
Twelve-year-old Bea moves into her grandmother's apartment in New York while her father undergoes heart surgery. While trying to navigate her personal struggles, she begins to see and follow a mysterious creature and a man named Cal. She soon learns that Cal works with imaginary friends (IFs) who have been abandoned by children who grew up. Initially reluctant, Bea decides to help Cal and the forgotten beings. The story follows their journey to a retirement home for these creatures at Coney Island, where Bea must navigate the complexities of their existence while dealing with her own reality.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Twelve-year-old Bea moves into her grandmother's apartment in New York while her father undergoes heart surgery. She discovers a mysterious man named Cal and a variety of 'imaginary friends' (IFs) who have been abandoned by children who grew up. Cal works to find these beings new homes, and Bea joins him in his efforts. They visit 'Memory Lane,' a retirement home for IFs at Coney Island. During their journey, Bea helps various IFs, including a large purple creature named Blue and a butterfly-like being named Blossom, reconnect with their pasts. She also helps a man named Jeremy Griffith rediscover his childhood. As the story progresses, Bea realizes that Cal is actually her own forgotten imaginary friend. In the end, she reconciles her feelings about her father's health and her own childhood, while the IFs find a sense of belonging. The film concludes with the IFs reuniting with their respective connections and Bea finding peace with her past.
- Original title
- Imaginary Friends
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Krasinski
- Writers
- John Krasinski · writer
- Cast and characters
- Cailey Fleming · Bea; Ryan Reynolds · Cal; John Krasinski · Bea's father; Fiona Shaw · Bea's grandmother; Steve Carell · Blue; Phoebe Waller-Bridge · Blossom; Louis Gossett Jr. · Lewis
- Genres
- live-action; animated; fantasy
- Themes
- imagination; growing up; memory
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; family-friendly
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; magical realism
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was well-received by audiences.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 46 · scale: 100 · review count: 39; PostTrak · score: 84% · scale: 100%
- Production trivia
- The film features a cameo by Brad Pitt as an invisible character.; The film was originally titled 'Imaginary Friends'.; The film reunites actors John Krasinski and Steve Carell.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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