IF (2024) | Film Review

The transition from horror director to one who helms family fare is a daring leap, one few make successfully (winking at you, Sam Raimi). Yet that is exactly what John Krasinski, the writer and director of both previous A Quiet Place films, has set out to do with his latest endeavor, IF. In fact, Krasinski has publicly stated that he wanted to make something for his own kids to watch. But was he successful?

IF opens with Bea (Cailey Fleming) is still reeling from the death of her mother as she now faces the mortality of her Dad (John Krasinski) with an upcoming operation. Specifically what Dad is suffering from is never fully explained, though he does reference a “broken heart”. While Bea awaits the outcome and Dad remains hospitalized, Bea holes up with her kindly grandmother (an absolutely riveting Fiona Shaw). For reasons that become explained as the film unfolds, Bea suddenly sees imaginary friends (IFs) running rampant!

This leads Bea to Calvin (Ryan Reynolds, dialing down the sarcasm to a 3), an IF wrangler of sorts who finds himself tasked with finding new homes for displaced IFs. As children mature and toss out their playthings, IFs either must find a new child to love or embrace retirement at the wackiest Shady Acres ever put to film. Bea finds she has a knack for helping, and it keeps her mind off of Dad’s impending operation, and away Krasinski’s tale goes.

IF revolves around the beauty of a child’s imagination, but also how trauma and adulthood often drive the wonder of it all away. The concept is a breath of fresh air in a cinemascape desperate for original adventures, and the unraveling of the story is rife with possibilities. The script is a bit wobbly in spots: a few moments feel rushed while a handful drag, the dialogue could be sharper (Reynolds is almost too restrained from his trademark quips), and exposition explosions abound.

But overall, IF is a uniquely inventive film that earns those moist tear ducts in the final act. Director, writer, and co-star John Krasinski has created a magically inventive film with a voice cast – led by the effortlessly charming Steve Carell – that might stir up a bit of “is that so-and-so?!”, yet never threatens to overtake the proceedings with their clout. IF aims to become essentially a live-action Pixar movie and pretty much succeeds. Krasinski even stages an extended artistic tornado as Bea brings the IF retirement home fantastically to life, which carries enough energy and joy for three movies and is already an early winner for best scene of the year.

John Krasinski obviously aims to recapture the emotional movies of his youth, and the heart is abundant in every scene as Bea seeks to match all these discarded IFs with their prospective kids while distancing herself from personal pain. Ryan Reynolds might get top billing, but he’s very low-key here, taking a backseat to the delightful Cailey Fleming’s Bea who slaps this entire endeavor on her back for the entire runtime. Fleming runs a gamut of emotions – high and low – and never missed a beat. It’s a star-making performance and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Surely there will be reviews complaining that IF is cheesy, full of clichés, or too sweet. Sadly, a tinge of saccharin is frowned upon these days. Because we live in an era where everything needs to be EDGY, even the comments or critiques. This is not an edgy flick in any sense, this is Amblin 2.0. It’s grandeur 80s sunshine. Despite a few gripes with the script, IF is perfect fodder for families looking to bond with laughs, endless creativity, and a hearty dose of the feels.