Ryan Reynolds' new movie IF not only fills a much-needed space for original family movies at the box office, but it does so with a wonderfully touching combination of laughs, tears and adorable furry creatures.
Written and directed by John Krasinski, who is moving from horror movies (A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place: Part II) into uncharted family-friendly territory, the movie offers a surprisingly emotional story and ultimately harmless entertainment for viewers of all ages.
You might come in expecting the animated creatures (voiced by a star-studded cast including Krasinski's The Office co-star Steve Carrell, Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr and more) to steal the show, but there is actually more to IF than meets the eye.
Written by Krasinski, the story follows Bea (The Walking Dead's Cailey Fleming), a teen going through a hard time as her father's (Krasinski) health issues are bringing back memories of her mother's passing a few years back.
While staying with her grandma (Killing Eve's Fiona Shaw), Bea meets her neighbour Cal (Reynolds) and discovers a world of abandoned imaginary friends (known as IFs) who are desperately looking for new kids to bond with.
If only Inside Out's Bing Bong could be there to join the team!
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Remembering the tragic imaginary friend from Pixar's hit movie (which is followed by a sequel, Inside Out 2, next month) is not at all random — IF holds many similarities with the animation studio's legacy of family-oriented adventures filled with life lessons, adult layers of understanding and devastating tearjerker moments.
Much like 2009's Up, Krasinski opens the movie with a heartbreaking sequence, which shows through homemade videos how Bea's mother got sick and eventually passed away. From there, fantasy leaks into real life in order to offer some important yet vague lessons.
The idea of trusting audiences (however young) with heavy emotional material while offering a whimsical adventure with some silly moments is a classic Pixar move. The cherry on top is Michael Giacchino's excellent soundtrack — it feels as wholesome and affecting as the composer's extensive work in Pixar movies like Up, Coco and Ratatouille.
What is unique to IF, and probably its strongest suit, is Cailey Fleming's phenomenal performance.
The 17-year-old star is the heart of this movie, whether it's nailing a dancing choreography with the IFs or pouring her heart out by a hospital bed. Ryan Reynolds is completely outshone by both his young co-star and Fiona Shaw's endearing grandma, who gets to lead one of the story's most memorable moments.
Because of all these notable qualities, it's frustrating to see IF getting in its own way.
This is a beautiful family movie full of real feelings and fleshed-out characters, and yet it seems Hollywood's need to package, market and commercialise prevents it from shining as it should. It's like it's trying to be something franchise-able in case there is room for sequels, spin-offs and whatnot following a good box-office run.
That's nothing new in the industry, of course, nor is it necessarily a problem. Having every Pixar character available as a stuffed toy or stamped on a T-shirt doesn't diminish their artistic value. However, in this case, it does feel like an obstacle of their own making.
It also shows a lack of confidence in what the movie is at its core — a gorgeous, smart family movie telling young viewers not to grow up too fast and older viewers to remember that "nothing you love can ever be forgotten."
IF is in cinemas on May 17 in the UK and Ireland.
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Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
