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The brief
John Krasinski's family fantasy feels like a Pixar movie made by someone who's only heard Pixar described secondhand - the emotional beats land with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and Reynolds basically plays Deadpool for kids. Cailey Fleming does her best to sell the whimsy, but the pacing drags through a middle act stuffed with celebrity cameo imaginary friends that feel more like expensive distractions than story elements. The visual effects are decent enough, though everything has that overly polished digital sheen that makes you miss practical puppetry. This is for parents desperately seeking something "safe" to watch with kids who've already burned through the Disney+ catalog twice.
The verdict
If you're a parent looking for harmless family entertainment and don't mind heavy-handed emotional manipulation, this is a decent enough distraction for kids who love celebrity voices and colorful CGI. If you prefer storytelling with actual subtlety or pacing that doesn't drag through endless cameo parades, skip this overly polished fantasy and rewatch a real Pixar movie instead.
Watch with
- 👨👩👧👦 Family movie night with young kids
- ⚠️ Adults seeking sophisticated storytelling
Heads up
- Themes of abandonment and forgotten friendships (moderate)
- Emotional manipulation through child-parent separation (brief)
Credits
- Director
- John Krasinski
- Cast
- Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr.
Official synopsis
After discovering she can see everyone's imaginary friends, a girl embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with The Pout-Pout Fish (2026)
Both feature magical friendships that help children overcome emotional challenges.
Total runtime: 1h 44m + 1h 32m = 3h 16m
