In “Imaginary” (2023), Jessica (DeWanda Wise), an author and illustrator of children’s books, her husband, Burning Cats guitarist Max (Tom Payne), and his daughters, teen Taylor (Taegan Burns) and younger Alice (Pyper Braun) move to Jessica’s childhood home in a Louisiana suburb. Jessica’s bad dreams stop once she returns to her home. The real nightmare begins when Alice makes an imaginary friend, Chauncey, a worn teddy bear. Alice starts talking in a weird voice and goes on a scavenger hunt that becomes increasingly disturbing. Gloria (Betty Buckley), Jessica’s former babysitter and neighbor, has a theory which may spark Jessica into recalling her memories.
“Imaginary” is mid. There is a good story in there, but writers Greg Erb, Jason Oremland and director Jeff Wadlow missed it. There is a central, strong theme: the inability to rely on or trust your loved ones or yourself. Ultimately the writers were unwilling to tackle the theme of family members who lose their mind, the fear of this trait passing down to the children, and the idea that someone could be loved but not worthy of trust. The film builds up the idea that Chauncey feels that Jessica betrayed him. The story constantly alludes to the fact that Chauncey is sad, not evil, which is spun as a lie to lure her in but was an emotionally resonant concept which results in the most emotionally resonant scene. Jessica reassures and apologizes to Alice, but the bear is lying in the bed under the covers. I wanted a bittersweet scene where Chauncey is still a threat, but somehow Jessica remembering and addressing the situation would have resolved or ameliorated the issue somehow. Instead a lot of the cleverness goes out the door, and Chauncey just becomes the traditional monster: all teeth and claws. Shrug.
The writers prioritize the story where Jessica and her stepdaughters become a family. Here is an idea, fellas. If you are going to write about girls and women, maybe throw one in the writers’ room, watch TikTok or read AITA. Would any woman in a shaky relationship with her child charges be eager to spend alone time with them or beg her husband to postpone his trip? Neither his older daughter nor his wife ever had a moment where they looked at him to pick a side. How is he getting off scott free with a harmonious marriage Also my cynical radar did the calculation. Max is a gold digger looking for a bang nanny. He saw a hot woman with property and a successful career, snagged her and leaves her with all the responsibilities while he follows his dreams. He spent zero time with her and the kids except in bed. What does he bring to the table except problems.
Because the writers are not the best, each girl takes turns being interesting. Dominating the first two acts, Braun steals the show with a line delivery that mixes sweetness with sarcasm. She is a great little actor who nailed every scene. Without her performance, Chauncey is not even remotely frightening, and her brief breakup scene was devastating and felt realistic. Burns dominates the final act when Taylor gets invested in her sister’s well-being and starts to work with Jessica instead of just play the standard issue resentful teenager. Once she lightens up, the chemistry between her and Wise suggests that if they had subverted the tropes or decided to make the two bond over having mentally ill parents, “Imaginary” could have moved up a notch. Even though parentification is discouraged, Jessica is constantly trying to protect Taylor, but Taylor feels a sense of ownership over Jessica’s well-being that is an unearned transformation yet works because of the performances. Maybe Alice should have been leerier of Jessica because of her mom’s issues, which would echoed the relationship with Chauncey and Jessica, and Taylor should have appreciated Jessica because she is the older kid who knows what happened. When Taylor got physical, the threat felt more palpable. Instead the film’s foundation is the bond between Alice and Jessica.
Wise is a gorgeous woman who gives me Angela Bassett vibes. She looks like she could be a superhero, and it only helps that her wardrobe makes her look like Wonder Woman as a civilian. “Imaginary” spent good money when they hired her because without her, the movie would be less watchable. I loved when she finally gets a cathartic moment and tells people about themselves. The most unrealistic part of this film is the idea that anyone could disrespect a Black woman in her own house and not get read to complete filth.
Buckley commands attention every time that she is on screen. Wadlow was good at making scenes unsettling when shadowy figures lurk in the background, hugging the edges, which is how Chauncey, his real entity self and Gloria get introduced. Matthew Sato, who plays a neighbor and Taylor’s date prospect, gets the best scenes with Chauncey otherwise Chauncey was a letdown as a pure monster. The writers gave away too much during the opening oneiric sequence then any scene in which a character read Jesssica’s stories. It gets so spelled out that somehow the denouement feels anticlimactic. The monster’s liminal space should have been populated with more people since it is a place where other kids would be. The director referenced “Labyrinth” as inspiration but failed to mention scenes that felt derivative like Stephen King’s “It,” specifically Pennywise and the deadlights.
Most people complained about the mythology. The mythology would have hung better if the framework of the story was strong enough to handle it, but Gloria was a glorified prose dumper who over explains everything to make sure that no one gets left behind in the audience. Dr. Alana Soto (Veronica Falcon) was the best in her M. Night Shyamalan role that reveals the whole twist, which I did not expect, but should have seen coming. Please do not revoke my jaded moviegoer card. It is a dumb detail to get hung up on, but when Dr. Soto leaves the family instead of either calling DCF or finding a responsible adult to intervene and help, it was the part of “Imaginary” that did not work for me, especially since she was otherwise so savvy. It feels like a waste that the film is set in Louisiana, there is a supernatural explanation, but the environment and history are never considered.
“Imaginary” has a problematic element. Within this universe, any parent who suffers a mental illness cannot be trusted with their well-being of their child, but when it is a mother, she is just mad whereas the man is noble and sympathetic. The flick deserves kudos for having the message that real friends want the best for us and do not want to inflict any pain.
If you are expecting the same eerie commercials featured in the trailers, let me save you some disappointment. People do not watch television in “Imaginary” except to watch movies like “Warm Bodies” (2013). The final scene was hilarious and leaves room for a sequel, which no one wants. Let’s just put DeWise in better movies.