Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: 5/14/2024
Rating: PG-13
Film Grade: C+
The Story: Jessica is a successful author and illustrator of her own line of children’s books. She’s also plagued by dreams of a terrifying spider relentlessly pursuing her. Her personal life is in a state of upheaval, recently married to a divorcee with two daughters, while dealing with her father who’s been moved to an assisted living facility.
Her father’s relocation opens up the opportunity for the family to move back to her childhood home. A home that still holds a part of her life that she has long blocked from her memory. But it hasn’t forgotten about her, for not all imaginary friends are purely imaginary.
My Take: PG-13 horror movies can be a mixed bag. Some are effective for a wide audience, essentially just toning down the gore of a dark story. Others are a gateway for a younger audience to dip their little toes into the genre. Imaginary is of the later type.
Like many recent horror movies, this one tacks on lots of family drama. In addition to Jessica having to deal with a father who’s slipping away from her and the tensions of a blended family, there’s also the daughter’s biological mother, who has her own mental issues. It’s an unnecessary part of the plot that clouds the focus of the movie.
The cast is all around solid. DeWanda Wise gives Jessica good emotional depth, trying her best to be a good stepmother while also dealing with a case of writer’s block as she’s forced to confront her past. Betty Buckley is a good fit as the eccentric old lady who used to babysit Jessica and has her own interest in the house. Pyper Braun is a great fit for the youngest daughter, Alice, effectively blending innocence and curiosity.
There are lots of familiar plot points and horror fans will recognize where some of the scenes are going. That said, there were two twists that I didn’t see coming, catching me completely off guard. They’re not overly important to the story but enough of a change up that they’re worth noting.
The scope of the movie is bigger than what one might expect based on the cover art, which both helps and hurts the movie. It does offer the chance to greatly expand on the theme of imagination, but the visuals and unfolding events don’t make full use of it. I’m going to guess that it was due to budget, but even with that limitation more could have been done with the idea than what we see on screen.
Video: Images are sharp and clear, especially all of the shots drenched in sunshine, creating good contrast with the darker elements of the story. There is some lost definition in the shadowy scenes, but not to the point where it distracts from the story. This is a good, but not spectacular presentation.
Audio: The disc features an effective Atmos track that makes good use of the top and surround channels, a little less so with the wides. It’s especially fun when a horror movie takes advantage of the feature, adding creaking, clawing, and other sound effects to enhance the mood and tone of a story. This is a good example of that, helping draw viewers into the film. It’s a nice surprise in this low budget entry, showing a good attention to detail.
Special Features: - Audio Commentary by Producer-Cowriter-Director Jeff Wadlow and Executive Producer-Actress DeWanda Wise
- Meet Your New Imaginary Friends
- Frills and Thrills
- Crafting the Beasts of Imaginary
- Bringing Nightmares to Life
Final Verdict: While aimed at a younger audience, there was enough to the story to hold my interest. A couple of plot twists, while minor, helped in that regard. That, along with the effective use of Atmos, raises the title to just above average.
If you’re looking for a modern title to introduce kids to horror movies, this would be a good choice. The PG-13 rating is due more to swearing, with there being a minimal amount of blood and gore. The horror element is mostly due to the sense of menace and mood than violence.
Fun Fact: While he didn’t write the score, Bear McCreary wrote the song, Chauncey Theme, heard over the ending credits. It’s sung by his daughter, Sonatine.
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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