**This post contains spoilers**
The Story- Jessica (DeWanda Wise) moves into her childhood home with her husband, Max (Tom Payne), and her stepdaughters, Alice (Pyper Braun) and Taylor (Taegen Burns). Alice develops an unusual relationship with a teddy bear named Chauncey. Jessica slowly realizes that Chauncey is more than just an imaginary friend, as Chauncey’s games become more sinister.
Gloria (Betty Buckley), Jessica’s neighbor and her former babysitter, offers her help. But Jessica will have to confront her past and traumas from her childhood, if she wants to save Alice.
My Thoughts- DeWanda Wise holds her own well in the leading role, and Pyper Braun delivers a solid performance. Braun does a good job of playing this innocent and bright-eyed kid, who’s way too attached to her imaginary friend.
There’s a scene during a session with Dr. Soto (Veronica Falcon), where Alice has a breakdown, because Chauncey is trying to intimidate her. Braun shows how the stress of dealing with Chauncey is effecting her. How it’s just too much for a young child to handle, and the therapy scene is easily one of the bigger highlights here.
Betty Buckley was the right fit for Gloria. Gloria is this sweet old lady, but she’s also kooky. A lot of horror films have that one elderly character, who tries to warn everyone about the severity of the impending threats. Filling the role of the harbinger of doom, Buckley also nails the storyteller side of Gloria, as she explains Chauncey’s origins and motivations to Jessica and Taylor.
The family dynamic between Jessica, Taylor, and Alice features some familiar cliches. Jessica is trying her best to be the positive and helpful stepmother. Taylor is the bratty and rebellious teenager. She resents Jessica for forcing her way into the family. Samantha (Alix Angelis) is Taylor’s biological mother, committed to a mental institution. Taylor tries to reconnect with Samantha, but the brief reunion has a sad ending, driving a bigger wedge between Jessica and Taylor.
The big fake out happens, when it’s revealed that Chauncey isn’t real, because he’s an imaginary friend! There’s no physical version of the teddy bear. Jessica and Alice are the only two people, who can actually see Chauncey. It’s a logical reveal, because Alice and Jessica both share a connection with Chauncey, but it’s not a shocking reveal. Pay close attention, and you’ll notice Jessica is the only person, who acknowledges seeing a teddy bear throughout the movie.
After so many teases and hints, we’re ready for the big finale in the Never Ever. The Never Ever is Chauncey’s realm, and you can quickly see how it’s a comforting and safe place for children. It’s not too spooky, no rivers of blood or skeletons, and it’s a place where a child’s imagination has endless possibilities.
In the Never Ever, Alice creates her own world, where she has everything she wants. She’s a princess. Alice also imagines her biological mother into her world, so everything is perfect, right? Well, of course Alice comes to her senses, with some help from Jessica. She escapes the Never Ever with Taylor and Jessica, and Alice lights Chauncey on fire, burning the house down in the process to finally escape Chauncey.
The journey into the Never Ever is rocky, but it’s also predictable. I didn’t buy into the attempted swerve, where Jessica seemingly escaped, but she realizes she’s still stuck in the Never Ever. Gloria sealing the exit, because of her obsession with wanting to stay in the Never Ever? It’s another surprise that’s not too shocking, if you pay attention.
Gloria was way too obsessed with Jessica, her childhood, and everything that was going on in her life. She was more concerned with gaining knowledge about Chauncey, so you had to know she was just waiting for the right moment to sabotage the rescue mission.
Chauncey’s monstrous form? It’s not scary or intimidating. I was expecting Chauncey’s demonic look to resemble an actual bear, or at least something that’s more believably ferocious.
What happened to Dr. Soto’s colleague? After the therapy session with Alice, Dr. Soto mentions she knows a colleague, who can help Alice, but they never mention whoever this person is again? Going by what Dr. Soto said, I’m guessing this person was someone, who deals with unprecedented situations. It’s just really strange how they seemingly forgot about this mystery man at a crucial point in the story.
Imaginary undeniably has a lot of good ideas, and Alice and Jessica are two likable main characters. Chances are most of us had an imaginary friend at Alice’s age. It’s a way to escape the real world, or soften the blow of not being able to make real friends. And it’s obvious Alice is upset about Samantha’s absence from her life.
Jessica having a strong and vibrant imagination in her adult years as an author of children’s books, with her character Simon (a big spider), helps strengthen her bond with Alice. Jessica’s unique imagination is the main reason for Chauncey’s obsession with her, and you could say the same thing about Alice.
The scene with Jessica visiting her father, Ben (Samuel Salary) is a bit over the top, but it gets the point across to show just how dangerous Chauncey is, and the consequences Ben had to suffer through for his sacrifice.
The potential for a truly good horror film is there. I’d go as far as saying it could’ve been great, but Imaginary follows the usual playbook for mainstream PG-13 horror films. The repetitive scare tactic with ghostly figures lurking in the background. The jump scares, and overall Imaginary just feels dull. There’s ONE good sequence, when Chauncey terrorizes the neighbor, Liam (Matthew Sato), but that’s about it. And you’ll see some of that sequence in one of the trailers, so it’s not a big shock, because you already know how it ends.
Rating- 4/10
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