The Imaginary is as close as it gets to Studio Ghibli's brand of wondrous animation, so fans of the Japanese studio will feel very at home.
The movie, now available on Netflix, is the second feature film by Studio Ponoc, a production company founded by longtime Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura. The director of the movie, Yoshiyuki Momose, is a Ghibli alum too, having worked as a key animator on movies like Spirited Away and The Tale of Princess Kaguya.
Those connections between studios are evident in this new movie, both aesthetically and thematically, but that's not necessarily a problem.
Despite lacking some of Hayao Miyazaki's emotional depth and handmade artistry, The Imaginary is a beautifully animated tale about grief, children's unapologetic joy and the power of imagination.
Based on a book by A.F. Harrold and adapted by Nishimura for the screen, the movie follows Rudger, a chirpy golden-haired boy who only exists in the mind of Amanda. Rudger is her imaginary best friend, and together they've lived incredible adventures without even leaving the confines of her bedroom.
"Amanda always imagines the most splendid worlds," he says.
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However, their paths cross with Mr Bunting, a strange middle-aged man with a huge moustache who feeds off imaginary friends much like a Dementor. He is helped by his own imaginary friend, a creepy black-and-white girl who seems to have been taken straight out of a J-horror movie like Ringu.
As it turns out, there is life (and danger) for imaginary friends beyond Amanda's imagination.
Imaginary friends are having a moment this year, with John Krasinki's IF sharing strong similarities with Ponoc's new movie.
Both movies feature a refuge that offer imaginary beings a home once their children have forgotten them (appropriately, in The Imaginary, it's set in a library), and the possibility of being useful again for other kids. Both stories also explore imaginary friends as tools to process grief and other dark feelings during childhood, as well as arguing the benefits of being present in adults' lives too.
The story shines brighter through animation, though, as the possibilities the medium offers are limitless and visually amazing.
Additionally, the chilling villain team and some gorgeously created supporting characters (like the red-haired adventurer Emily, pink hippopotamus Snowflake, mismatched-eye talking cat Zinzan and imaginary dog Fridge), make this Japanese movie a much more entertaining take on the wonders of children's imagination.
The emotional core of the movie ends up being the relationship between Amanda and her mother Elizabeth (voiced in the English dub by Hayley Atwell) as they deal with a terrible loss. Some scenes (like the mother finding a hidden message in an umbrella) are incredibly heartbreaking, but the ending is hopeful and uplifting.
Human dramas aside, the fantasy world that lives beyond Amanda's psyche is fascinating, the imaginary friends' existences so tragic and yet so bright, that by the end, you wish you could have lived in this world a little while longer.
As difficult as it might be to disassociate this movie from the shadow of Ghibli's daunting legacy, The Imaginary is a heartwarming family adventure with more than enough magic of its own.
The Imaginary is out now on Netflix.
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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
