IF (2024)

IF parks a retirement home for forgotten imaginary friends under a swing ride at Coney Island, and anyone raised on Cartoon Network will feel a strong case of déjà vu. The bigger problem is that John Krasinski can’t decide what kind of movie he’s making. Bea is twelve, staying at her grandmother’s New York apartment while her dad waits on heart surgery, and insisting she’s not a kid anymore. Then she starts seeing IFs, and Cal, a mysterious man played by Ryan Reynolds, recruits her to match them with new children. The rules keep shifting, the tone swings from hospital worry to cartoon slapstick, and the plot keeps detouring. Cailey Fleming is terrific as Bea. Her grandmother dancing to an old record while Blossom glows is lovely. Opening crowds gave it an A CinemaScore, while critics landed at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 5.4 because Fleming shines and the plot ties itself in knots. $46.83 says you dig through a closet this weekend hunting for a drawing of your own old imaginary friend.

What works: Cailey Fleming gives Bea real grit and sadness, and the scene where her grandmother dances again is the sweetest moment in the movie.

What doesn’t: The rules for the IFs keep changing, and the tone lurches between hospital grief and cartoon slapstick without ever settling down.

Who it’s for: Families with kids around Bea’s age, and any grown-up who still remembers the name of an imaginary friend.