Let me start by saying that I love Blumhouse, it is my favorite horror movie studio and for years they have made great horror movie after great horror movie. However, as Blumhouse has “expanded” and gotten bigger and started to release more movies per year, some cracks are starting to appear with movies that are not all that great coming out, and sadly, Imaginary is one of those not-so-great movies.
How to Download Imaginary
Imaginary was released on March 8, 2024. You can expect to be able to download or stream the film from a digital platform in about two months from its release date. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the current availability.
The Movie Review
A Critical Eye on Imaginary: Breaking Down the Hype
The trailers for Imaginary looked awesome! It had a kind of Annabelle/Insidious vibe going on and that appealed to me right away. My local theatre had this on five times per day which for a horror movie is pretty huge so they must have had high hopes for it. Or, more than likely there was not much else out at the time.
Character Analysis and Plot Intricacies
The movie is about a family that consists of the father Max, the youngest daughter Alice, teenage daughter Taylor, and the stepmom, Jessica. They are moving into a new home, a home that just so happens to be the home that Jessica grew up in. Right off the bat, I did not like the eldest daughter, Taylor. Taylor is one of the least likable teens I have ever seen in a movie, she is a straight-up asshole, like a bully!
Jessica has a bit of repressed trauma from when she was a kid about something spooky that happened here. However, as you see in the trailer, Alice ends up getting an imaginary friend who possesses/communicates through her teddy bear. At first, people think that Alice is just being a kid and having fun, but Jessica and soon the rest of the family start to realize that there is an evil presence at play here.
The Downfall of Imaginary: Analyzing Script and Direction
Look, as a premise, Imaginary is awesome and it has so much potential! Honestly, I was legit super excited as I sat down in my seat and the movie started, I was so sure this was going to be a slam dunk! Yet, ¾ of the movie is just such a chore to sit through! The writing is some of the worst I have seen in a Blumhouse movie.
It is like they did one draft of the script and said “Yep, this is good” and never did any revisions or tightened it up. I say this because the way that the characters talk to each other is just so odd. It feels so unnatural and weird that it kind of takes you out of the movie. I am not even saying that the actors are doing a bad job, they simply did not have good material to work with.
A Glimmer of Hope in the Final Act
Imaginary is not all bad, it ramps up in the last 10 to 15 minutes and there are a few jump scares and clever tricks played by the camera. To be honest, it does end on a pretty strong note and I feel that if they did a sequel, it could be way better. That is assuming they have learned from what worked here and what did not work of course.
Sequel Speculations and Final Thoughts
We already have had the less-than-great Night Swim from Blumhouse this year and I would say that Imaginary is right around the same level of quality. Although, I do think that Imaginary at least has the potential to be better if they decide to make a sequel. I honestly would not recommend making the effort to see this in the theatre, but you may want to give it a try when it hits streaming.
