"IF" Film Review

IF

Rating: 3.5/5

By: Nathaniel Simpson

    John Krasinski's newest film, IF, is very different than the other movies he has crafted so far. The A Quiet Place franchise put him on the map as a director, showing how he is much more than an actor in a sitcom. Then, the Pandemic hit in 2020, forcing everyone to stay home, creating this dark time for a lot of people. During this time, Krasinski started his own web series called Some Good News, where he highlighted good acts and good news from around the world. I think this is what inspired him to create his 2024 film, an entertaining film that has its flaws, reminding the audience how no one should lose their childhood innocence and imagination as they grow up. 

    The movie revolves around Bea (Cailey Fleming), a young girl who is sure she has grown up and is not a child anymore. She is living with her grandma (Fiona Shaw) while her dad (Krasinski) is in the hospital waiting for a life-changing surgery. While living in her grandma's apartment complex, she discovers a giant purple creature named Blue (Steve Carrell), who reveals he is an IF - which stands for "Imaginary Friend".

    He is accompanied by Cal (Ryan Reynolds), one of Bea's neighbors who can see the IFs. Not only can he see them, but he is assisting in helping these imaginary friends find new kids as their original kids grew up and forgot about them. After learning what their mission is and how kind and sweet these imagined creatures are, Bea is willing to help Cal find new kids for these IFs, while also figuring out more about herself along the way. 

    Obviously, the energy here is so much different from Krasinski's two other films, and here he is in a much different ballpark. He is crafting this movie catered towards family, and the marketing is geared more towards the child demographic. Now, here's where it gets interesting - I think he does a great job crafting a film like this that is geared towards a more family friendly viewing, but I think many kids will be bored to tears with this one. I went in not really knowing how this film will play out, and it was much different than what the trailers and posters conveyed. I think older audiences can definitely relate to this film and themes Krasinski is presenting here, but I think it will be lost in translation on many kids. 

    However, for me personally, I think this film is very enjoyable and works. I had a great time with it from beginning to end, and I really like these characters that Krasinski had created. Many of the emotional moments resonated with me quite well. For instance, I lost one of my parents a couple years ago, so there were some real heart wrenching moments that I think were presented very well and shows how Krasinski must know what that feels like. When trying to get an emotional response out of the viewer, I think Krasinski excelled. 

    Now, this movie isn't without its flaws. I think the pacing is off at some times throughout the film, drawing out moments that didn't need to be and rushing towards the ending of the film. He tried to tie up many loose ends very quickly, and I think he could have easily expanded this movie longer than it was. At the same time, there is no real world development or character development outside of the two main characters played by Fleming and Reynolds. I would have loved to see a bigger backstory on the dad and his mom, but it seems like most of their moments are just to advance Bea from point A to point B. The movie feels very rushed and unfinished in terms of story at times, and I really wish Krasinski perhaps fleshed out his screenplay a bit more.

    I do think the performances are quite good though. Reynolds is of course a great leading man, and he is just able to inject humor and his own sort of charisma into anything he is in. He is just great and so lovable, and makes for a great protagonist in a film like this. I also think Fleming does a good job of tapping into the character of Bea. While her acting is good for this role, I think her facial expressions really stand out the most. She is a very expressive young actress, and I think that will serve her well for the rest of her career. 

    The movie also features a slew of huge Hollywood names as the other IFs, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emily Blunt, Awkwafina, Bill Hader, Matt Damon, George Clooney, etc. It's a lot of fun hearing these iconic voices lend themselves to these adorable characters, and their scenes are some of the standouts in the whole film. I definitely would have liked more from them, and I think they could have offered more to the picture than what they were given. 

    Overall, I think this movie is such a fun, imaginative way to bring the viewers back into their childhood, allowing them to really think back to their own childhood innocence and imagination. This movie is full of wonder and beauty in the sense that imagination and creativity is one of the best things we possess, and we should not lose it by trying to grow up too quickly. It's obvious Krasinski really channeled his inner child when making this movie, and I think it works effectively to make the viewer feel the same exact way.