The toy stuffed bear comes to life and has an evil agenda. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Been there, done that. Isn’t this just Chucky or Annabelle or M3GAN all over again? It sure looks that way, doesn’t it? And when are children gonna learn not to play with toys, anyway? Stupid kids.
For a film that sure feels redundant, Imaginary went in a different direction than I had anticipated, and I’m rewarding the film for such … even though I know darn well Imaginary was neither great film, not great horror.
Jessica (DeWanda Wise) is a step-mom and a struggling one at that. She’s completely lost her teen (Taegen Burns), but still has a chance with the little one, Alice (Pyper Braun). It’s not a good chance, but it’s a chance, and if Jessica does the eggshell dance long enough, she may just get to be Alice’s mother. Jessica has some assets in this fight; one is that she’s the author of Molly Millipede, a series of child-friendly books. Second, she got the fam to move into the childhood home where Molly Millipede sprouted from her seemingly bottomless imagination.
This is all fun and games until … the fun and games. Hearing a voice from the basement, Alice locates a stuffed bear named Chauncey, who “talks” to Alice. Chauncey even puts together a scavenger hunt for Alice with increasingly disturbing requirements. I think it ends with a fan letter to the Kardashians :shudder:
Point is it’s pretty clear the bear with the pull-string is pulling the strings in this relationship. How far is this gonna go? And will the bear PLEASE get rid of that horndog neighbor kid? Seriously, you’d be doing us all a favor.
I’ve been some films with shallow casts before. And, yet, I’ve never seen “AND BETTY BUCKLEY.” That’s gotta be a first in a major release, right? Give it up for your agent, Betty. They got you an “AND” on the strength of what, exactly? You were the step-mom on “Eight Is Enough” and the gym teacher in the original Carrie … have you acted since the 1970s? You bio says “yes;” my memory cannot confirm.
So here’s a film in which the toy becomes the villain. This is an absolutely terrible message, btw … are you really discouraging kids from having toys or big imaginations? Alice is constantly reporting 
how “Chauncey is hungry” and “Chauncey doesn’t like you” and all sorts of associated crap. Seriously, I found Chauncey kinda needy. Dude, you knew the game when you became an evil toy. They don’t have to play with you. None of this made me like the film.
What made Imaginary a slight winner for me was the part where there became more than just “evil toy.” There’s more at play in this movie than just a stupid bear … and Jessica is as much a part of this Imaginary horror as Alice. Now I know when you have such a blockbuster cast as Betty and the boomers, you gotta make sure all the talent is satisfied with their roles and you let the film win out. I think Imaginary was able to convey the plot beneath all the scene stealing.
Seriously? I was pleasantly surprised by Imaginary. Do you know the last time I was pleasantly surprised by a horror film? No? I don’t, either.
There once was stuffed teddy bear
Who got kids to do things he’d declare
For the doll was a demon
And spent the time schemin’
OTOH, he gave great child care
Rated PG-13, 104 Minutes
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Writer: Greg Erb, Jason Oremland, Jeff Wadlow
Genre: Your toy is not your friend
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Me, apparently
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Child psychologists, I imagine
