Imaginary (2024) spoiler free review

“Welcome to a fear beyond your imagination”. Imaginary is a 2024 American supernatural horror film directed by Jeff Wadlow and written by Wadlow, Greg Erb, and Jason Oremland. It’s co-produced by Wadlow, Blumhouse Productions and Tower of Babble. It was released by Lionsgate in the United States on March 8, 2024.

When Jessica returns to her childhood home with her family, she finds her old teddy bear, Chauncey, and sees that her youngest stepdaughter Alice has grown attached to it. After Alice’s behavior becomes concerning, and the games that she and Chauncey play turn increasingly sinister, Jessica starts realizing that Chauncey is much more than the stuffed bear she believed him to be for all those years.

Film synopsis

The cast includes DeWanda Wise as Jessica, Pyper Braun as Alice, Tom Payne as Max, Betty Buckley as Gloria, Taegen Burns as Taylor, Matthew Sato as Liam, Verónica Falcón as Dr. Alana Soto, and Dane DiLiegro as Chauncey Bear.

My opinion

Imaginary friends are very common during childhood. While to adults these seem harmless and an extension of a child’s imagination, there have been times when these have turned out to be very real and dangerous. This is the case of Jessica, a woman who has returned to her childhood home with her family and, without knowing it, will reopen a door to a world that will endanger her stepdaughters and everything she thought she knew about her childhood.

If you have seen Insidious (2010), The Boy (2016), or The Boogeyman (2023) you have already seen this film. Imaginary is a horror film that ironically lacks imagination and creativity. Feeling like a mix of clichés that we have seen before in the genre, this becomes just another ordinary supernatural horror film. The only positive aspect that was well handled, without giving spoilers, was the plot twist related to the teddy bear. It was a detail that I did not anticipate and gave a positive point to this film. Unfortunately, when it comes to the script, plot and acting these are average. The lack of gore and scary moments was to be expected due to the PG-13 rating. This is not a movie for horror fans who have seen everything and expect a good scare. Instead, it is more appropriate for people who want to watch a “horror movie” without being scared. Although of course, there are better options for that.

Imaginary is now available in theaters.