The imaginary friends you have as a child are harmless, right? Right? Not in the world of Imaginary, they’re not.
The latest Blumhouse release focuses on young Alice, who has just moved to a new house with her father, her teenage sister and her stepmother Jessica. It’s Jessica’s childhood home, actually — but the family are keen to make a new start of their own, making their own mark within the four walls.
Within hours of arriving at the house, Alice has attached herself to a teddy bear she’s found in the basement; a bedraggled chap she calls Chauncey. Giving voice to Chauncey, the pair quickly become inseparable, and not an eyelid is batted to begin with. After all, what’s so unusual about a child talking to her teddy bear? Nothing, it would seem. But Imaginary has a couple of twists up its sleeve, which it’ll reveal to you later on.
Imaginary’s 100-minute runtime feels a little too long at times, but it’s entertaining enough to hold your attention — even if some slower moments feel more like a family drama than a horror movie. It isn’t until the film’s final third when things finally heat up, as the family realises that Alice’s imaginary friend might not be as harmless as they first thought. A trip to the “Never Ever” is required to bring her back, and this quaint surburban drama perhaps goes a little too far to hold any sense of believability.
It’s at least fun, though, with some great imagery in the forms of giant, evil teddy bears, shadows on the walls and kids with teddy bear-style buttons for eyes. There’s nothing that’s really going to unsettle you: as far as true horror goes, Imaginary errs on the side of caution. There’s no real gore, no jumpscares, and any attempts to build up unsettling tension are largely squandered.
That’s a shame in particular: you’ll occasionally see a shadowy character lurking in the background, but not enough is done to make it as atmospheric as it deserves to be. There’s also a subplot that places Alice’s real mother in a mental institution, which feels unnecessary and poorly handled.
This isn’t the best horror film, then, but there’s at least some enjoyment to be had from Imaginary. It’ll pass the time and provide some entertainment, but don’t expect to be unsettled or scared in any way.