Becoming an adult means leaving behind the childish things, casting aside fantasies and facing reality, but what if some traces of our childhood imagination remain and can help us get through the challenges of adulthood?
This “what if” is at the heart of “IF,” director John Krasinski’s foray into family fantasy after his breakout roles in horror films “A Quiet Place” (2018) and “A Quiet Place Part II” (2020). “IF” centers on 12-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming), who has lost her mother to cancer and now finds her father (John Krasinski) facing the prospect of undergoing open-heart surgery.
“IF” is a rare kid’s movie that isn’t childish, and it’s also a rare family movie that doesn’t ruin the fun with political messages or “hard” adult humor.
When Bea moves to New York City to stay with her grandmother while her father is hospitalized, she discovers that her upstairs neighbor, Cal (Ryan Reynolds), runs a kind of halfway house for imaginary friends (IFs, for short), people who have grown up and forgotten about themselves.
Each IF must find their child before they disappear forever, and with a little help from their imaginary friends Blue (Steve Carell) and Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Cal and Bea form an unlikely bond as they try to welcome the IFs into their new homes.
The broad appeal of IF is that John Krasinski has the ability to resurrect the childhood within us all. Actual children will delight in the film’s whimsical creations, while adults will be reminded of the endless wonder of childhood. Fleming expertly conveys the confusion between these two states while struggling to retain the freedom of childhood imagination. It’s clear that the actress has a promising career ahead of her; she’s come a long way since playing young Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Ryan Reynolds doesn’t deviate too much from his typical persona, but he does it so naturally that no one will complain. As always, he delivers a heartfelt comedic performance and some hilarious physical stunts. The emotional twist at the end gives surprising depth to his character and may even move the audience to tears.
Krasinski (credited simply as “Dad”) comforts his daughter with boundless positivity even as he wrestles with his own fears. Waller-Bridge, too, finds kindness beneath her character’s gentle wit, especially in a scene that epitomizes the film’s theme that imagination can bring comfort into adulthood. Carell plays Blue as a loveable neurotic, the perfect foil for the more subdued Blossom. An incredible ensemble of talent makes each “IF” as memorable as its character designs; Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Keegan-Michael Key are particularly good.
“IF” is the rare kid’s movie that isn’t childish. It’s also the rare family movie that doesn’t ruin the fun with political messages or “edgy” adult humor. Parents will be just as enthralled as their kids are, and maybe even more so because they’ll remember their own forgotten innocence. At the screening I saw, there were very few audience members, even grown men, who didn’t shed a tear when the credits rolled. I wonder if I was one of them? I’ll admit it. Luckily, I had a few extra napkins with my popcorn, and I encourage anyone watching this great movie to do the same.
