IF (film)

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This article is about the 2024 animated comedy film. For the 1968 drama film, see If....

IF
Poster featuring various creatures including a girl and man walking across a street.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Krasinski
Written byJohn Krasinski
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJanusz Kamiński
Edited by
Music byMichael Giacchino
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$110 million[2]
Box office$60.2 million[3][4]

IF is a 2024 American live-action animated fantasy comedy film written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, and Liza Colón-Zayas, along with the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., and Steve Carell. Its plot follows a young girl and her neighbor who find themselves able to see imaginary friends.

IF was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on May 17, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $60 million worldwide.

Plot

12-year-old Bea moves into her grandmother Margaret's apartment in New York while her father waits for heart surgery in the same hospital where her mother died of cancer years earlier. One night, Bea goes out to buy a charger for her mother's old camcorder and sees a strange creature, following it back to her grandmother's building.

The next day, she sees the creature again, accompanied by a man. Bea follows them to a nearby house where the man, Cal, retrieves a large furry purple creature named Blue. She also meets the other creature, a butterfly-like being named Blossom, and faints. She awakens in Cal's apartment where she learns that he has been working with imaginary friends, nicknamed IFs, to place them with new children as their original children have grown up and forgotten them. Initially reluctant, Bea eventually decides to help Cal.

The next day, Cal takes Bea to Memory Lane Retirement Home, a retirement community for IFs housed underneath a swing in Coney Island. There, he introduces Bea to Lewis, an elderly teddy bear who is the head of the facility. He inspires Bea to use her imagination to redesign the facility, much to the chagrin of Cal.

Motivated by a young boy named Benjamin that she met at the hospital, Bea tries to match one of the IFs with him. She, Cal, and Lewis audition the IFs, but sadly, he is unable to see any of them. Feeling unmotivated, Bea talks with Lewis on the Coney Island pier. He gives her an idea that maybe IFs do not need new kids, but rather to reunite with their old ones.

Talking with her grandmother, she sees a picture of her as a young dancer and recognizes Blossom in the background of the picture. Realizing Blossom was her grandmother's IF, Bea decides to test Lewis' idea. Playing one of her grandmother's records inspires Margaret to dance and she remembers Blossom, instilling Bea with hope.

Following a tip, Bea, Cal, and Blue find Blue's original kid, Jeremy, now a grown man trying to launch a business. Though their initial attempt fails, Bea and Cal succeed in reminding Jeremy of Blue and reuniting them, giving Jeremy the confidence he needs to nail a presentation. After saying goodbye to Blue, Bea returns home that evening, to find a frantic Margaret telling her that something went wrong with her father's operation. Bea rushes upstairs to Cal, who comforts her. When Bea says she doesn't want to say goodbye to her dad, Cal tells her to tell him a story instead. At the hospital, Bea tells her father of how she tried to be a grown-up but her father kept trying to bring fun into her life and that she still needs him, which wakes him up. Bea goes to tell her grandmother and realizes that the IFs have vanished.

Bea goes upstairs to thank Cal, but no one answers the door. The landlady hears Bea knocking and reveals that the door opens onto an old storage room. After her dad is released from the hospital, Bea and her dad pack up to go back home. While packing her things in the car, Bea finds an old picture she painted of her, her parents and a clown named Calvin. She suddenly realizes that Cal is an IF, and her own IF, forgotten after the death of her mother. She closes her eyes and remembers, restoring her ability to see IFs, and reuniting with Cal. After they leave, Margaret asks Blossom if the two of them should go inside and take some tea, causing Blossom to realize Margaret can see her.

Some time later, Cal begins reuniting the IFs with their original kids, now grown up. Benjamin meets his IF, a cartoonish dragon with glasses and a doctor's head mirror. Bea and her father return home, where he trips over Keith, his invisible imaginary friend.

Cast

Voices

Production

In October 2019, Paramount Pictures outbid Lionsgate and Sony, among others, to win the rights to Imaginary Friends, a project developed by John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds, with Krasinski set to write and direct it.[5] In May 2021, Krasinski's Sunday Night Productions and Reynolds's Maximum Effort signed first-look deals with Paramount.[6][7] In October 2021, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Fiona Shaw joined the cast.[8] In January 2022, Steve Carell, Alan Kim, Cailey Fleming, and Louis Gossett Jr. joined the cast, with the film retitled IF. The film reunites Krasinski and Carell, who both starred in The Office (2005–2013) as Michael and Jim.[9] In August 2022, Bobby Moynihan was added to the cast.[10] Brad Pitt signed on to voice an invisible imaginary friend called Keith. Though the character had no dialogue, Pitt was still credited for the role.[11]

Principal photography began on August 31, 2022, with Janusz Kamiński as cinematographer, and wrapped by early May 2023.[12][13] Animation director Arslan Elver and VFX supervisor Chris Lawrence worked alongside Krasinski on set and during pre- and post-production.[14][15] Framestore provided the visual effects and animation.[16][17] Michael Giacchino composed the film's score.[18]

Release

IF was released by Paramount Pictures in France on May 8, 2024,[4] and later in the United States on May 17, 2024,[19] after its originally scheduled release date of November 17, 2023 was first pushed to May 24, 2024 and then shifted forward by one week.[20]

Reception

Box office

As of May 19, 2024, IF has grossed $33.7 million in the United States and Canada and $24 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $57.7 million.[4][3]

In the United States and Canada, IF was released alongside The Strangers: Chapter 1 and Back to Black, and was originally projected to gross around $40 million from 4,041 theaters in its opening weekend.[21] After making $10.3 million on its first day (including $1.8 million from Thursday night previews), weekend estimates were lowered to $30 million. It went on to debut to $33.7 million, topping the box office.[22]

In France, the film made $3.3 million during its opening weekend in 621 cinemas.[4]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 47% of 158 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "A sweet ode to rediscovering one's inner child, IF largely works as old-fashioned family entertainment despite an occasionally unfocused and unnecessarily complicated plot."[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 46 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[24] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an 84% overall positive score, with 64% saying they would definitely recommend it.[22]

Adrian Horton of The Guardian awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing that it "checks the boxes" on the elements of a family-friendly movie, but also noting that it does not "fully conjure the magic" of other films in the genre.[25] Another mixed review was published on NPR by Bob Mondello, who wrote, "But mostly the filmmakers detour, decorate and digitize their story rather than telling it, and that doesn't mesh well with the real-world stuff — dad's surgery, for instance, and Bea's wandering all over Brooklyn without her grandma seeming to notice. And yes, I know: IF is a kid-flick, but it still needs grounding. We're in Brooklyn, not Willy Wonkaland."[26] RogerEbert.com called the film "a well-intentioned misfire".[27]

Tomris Laffly of Variety wrote that the movie was "in desperate need of some coherent world-building", while praising the performance of Cailey Fleming in the lead role.[28] In a more negative review for The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck criticised the film as "plagued by significant tonal shifts and pacing issues".[29] The Chicago Reader was even more dismissive, stating, "IF makes you wish you were watching some other movie. (...) There’s a fine line between the whimsical dream logic of Roald Dahl and irritating, incoherent nonsense. Director John Krasinski’s new kids film IF is nowhere near that line. Despite the best efforts of the extremely talented child actor Cailey Fleming, IF makes no sense, narratively, emotionally, or visually."[30]

Several critics noted the film's sharing some similarities with the Cartoon Network animated series, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.[a]

Notes

  1. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[31][32][33][34][35]

References

  1. ^ "IF (U)". BBFC. April 25, 2024. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  2. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 14, 2024). "John Krasinski & Ryan Reynolds' 'IF' To Give More Lift To Summer Box Office With $40M Opening – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "IF – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "IF (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  5. ^ Kit, Borys (October 15, 2019). "Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski Teaming for Fantasy Comedy Imaginary Friends (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  6. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 3, 2021). "Ryan Reynolds And His Maximum Effort Banner Sign First-Look Deal With Paramount Pictures". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 11, 2021). "John Krasinski And His Sunday Night Banner Signs First-Look Deal With Paramount Pictures". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  8. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 28, 2021). "Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fiona Shaw Join John Krasinski's Next Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 25, 2022). "Steve Carell, Alan Kim, Cailey Fleming & Louis Gossett Jr. Join Paramount And John Krasinski's IF Starring Ryan Reynolds". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 29, 2022). "Bobby Moynihan Joins Ryan Reynolds In IF From John Krasinski and Paramount". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  11. ^ Smith, Rachel (May 14, 2024). "IF: John Krasinski Confirms Brad Pitt Plays Invisible Character Keith (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Krasinski, John [@johnkrasinski] (August 31, 2022). "Beautiful day to kickoff a movie! #IF" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 2, 2023). "How WGA Strike Could Impact Movies Gearing Up For Production". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "You are being redirected..." www.animationmagazine.net. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  15. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (February 5, 2019). "Visual Effects Society Awards: Avengers: Infinity War Wins Top Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  16. ^ "IF". Framestore. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  17. ^ "Imaginary Friends ARE Real in IF Teaser Trailer". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  18. ^ "John Krasinski on Getting Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds to Join 'IF': 'Most Yeses of My Career'". The Hollywood Reporter. May 11, 2024. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  19. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 23, 2023). "Mission: Impossible 8 Jumps To 2025; A Quiet Place: Day One Goes To Summer In 2024 Theatrical Shake-Up Due To Actors Strike". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  20. ^ Murphy, J. Kim (July 19, 2022). "Paramount Sets A Quiet Place: Day One and John Krasinski-Directed Ryan Reynolds Film IF for 2024". Variety. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  21. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 14, 2024). "John Krasinski & Ryan Reynolds' IF To Give More Lift To Summer Box Office With $40M Opening – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  22. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 19, 2024). "'IF' Rises To $34M+, 'Strangers: Chapter 1' Strong At Near $12M, 'Back To Black' Goes Belly-Up At $2.8M – Sunday Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  23. ^ "IF". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  24. ^ "IF". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  25. ^ Horton, Adrian (May 15, 2024). "If review – John Krasinski's so-so, sentimental family fantasy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  26. ^ Mondello, Bob (May 16, 2024). "'IF' only! These imaginary friends are sweet, but could have been so much more". NPR. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  27. ^ Worthington, Clint. "IF movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  28. ^ Laffly, Tomris (May 15, 2024). "IF Review: John Krasinski's Ryan Reynolds-Starring Children's Tale Has a Classical Look, but Messy World-Building". Variety. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  29. ^ Scheck, Frank (May 15, 2024). "IF Review: Ryan Reynolds Leads a John Krasinski-Directed Family Film That's Easier to Admire Than Enjoy". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  30. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (May 17, 2024). "Review: IF". Chicago Reader. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  31. ^ Bibbiani, William (May 15, 2024). "'IF' Review: John Krasinski's Kid-Friendly Fantasy Rings Mostly Hollow". TheWrap. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  32. ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (May 16, 2024). "IF review: John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds aim (unsuccessfully) for Spielbergian wonder". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  33. ^ Tyler, Adrienne (December 17, 2023). "John Krasinski's New Comedy Is Oddly Similar To An Underrated Kids Show From 19 Years Ago". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  34. ^ Stenzel, Wesley (April 24, 2024). "Steve Carell and John Krasinski have an Office reunion in new IF promo". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  35. ^ LaMarche, Lee (January 14, 2024). "John Krasinski's IF Looks Eerily Similar to Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.

External links

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