Grab some tissues and the family and head out to see Paramount Pictures’ IF Movie this weekend in theatres, directed and written by John Krasinski. This well-written movie about childhood & healing your adult self is an inspiring & beautiful story for audiences of all ages and will hit you in the feels in all the good ways.
Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming star in Paramount Pictures’ “IF.”
An Inspirational Movie About Self-Healing IF Review
Written and directed by John Krasinski, IF Movie will hit you in all the feels as you ride an emotional rollercoaster along this inspirational and beautiful story about the journey of self-healing reminds us we’re never too old to be a kid.
Cailey Fleming and BLUE star in Paramount Pictures’ “IF.”
The movie opens with a summer of child activities at her grandmother’s house meshed with hospital visits and family trips to Coney Island Boardwalk, home of the Wonder Wheel—a core memory that Elizabeth/Bea (Cailey Fleming) has of her family before her mom’s passing.
The dancer in me instantly notices the Alvin Ailey Dance poster on the apartment wall, so you know there will be some sweet dance tie-in.
Ryan Reynolds and Director John Krasinski on the set of Paramount Pictures’ “IF.”
Bea returns to her grandmother’s apartment when she’s 12 for her dad’s heart surgery. She tells us, “life doesn’t always have to be fun” when she asks her dad (John Krasinski) to cut his antics at the hospital. Bea’s dad tells her that living in NY is going to make a really great story someday.
Back at the house, Bea stumbles upon an old SONY 8 mm video camera in her grandmothers’s closet, and as she journeys out of the building after watching it, she’s followed by what turns out to be IFs—imaginary friends. The next day she hears and sees the IFs again and shenanigans ensue leading to a full ride of exploring emotions from childhood to healing yourself as an adult.
Director John Krasinski on the set of Paramount Pictures’ “IF.”
Kids create imaginary friends at some point as security blankets and a normal part of childhood development. They need some extra support along the way and they create a friend to get them through. Children use imaginary friends for a variety of reasons such as to practice social skills and help them see their world from other perspectives and gain empathy. At some point, they outgrow them and their friend moves on.
L-r, George Clooney (Spaceman), Amy Schumer (Gummy Bear), Emily Blunt (Unicorn), Steve Carell (Blue), Flower, Cailey Fleming (Bea), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Blossom), Richard Jenkins (Art Teacher) and Maya Rudolph (Ally) star in Paramount Pictures’ “IF.”
But as adults, we can be hot messes. IF shows us that maybe we need to bring the imagination and our IFs back for a little emotional support and that should be part of a healing process during a difficult time in our adult life.
Verdict
From the opening scene to the closing credits, IF is a work of near perfection that is a top choice for your next family movie outing.
About IF Movie
From writer and director John Krasinski, IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids. IF stars Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell alongside many more as the wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination.
Runtime: 104 mins.
Rating: PG
Director and Writer: John Krasinski
Executive Producers: John J. Kelly, George Dewey, Kimberly Nelson LoCascio
Producers: Allyson Seeger, p.g.a., John Krasinski, p.g.a., Andrew Form, p.g.a., Ryan Reynolds
Cast: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Alan Kim, Liza Colón-Zayas and Steve Carell
IF movie is in theatres May 24, 2024.
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