Blumhouse is a formidable force in the horror genre. Its distinct, market-changing business strategy: provide aspiring horror filmmakers with a platform; maintain small budgets; make money?Enjoying immense success, it has served as a crucial platform for directors such as Jordan Peele, Rob Savage, Mike Flanagan, Nikyatu Jusu, Nahnatchka Khan, Christopher Landon, and several others. However, there can be a volume expectation associated with that model. Although Imaginary is not a terrible movie, it is the studio’s seventh release in the last 12 months, and these days it is difficult to avoid the feeling that quantity is being prioritized over quality.
Imaginary, which was directed by Blumhouse alum Jeff Wadlow (of 2018’s Truth Or Dare), initially appears to be one of those horror films trying to incorporate some eerie imagery. The wicked Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear from Toy Story and Bing Bong, the imaginary companion from Inside Out, are the two Pixar characters that are portrayed as being similar to Chauncey the teddy bear (the latter is in fact constantly referred throughout). However, the movie falls short in its attempt to make Chauncey feel iconic or prophetic, making him resemble Fozzie from The Muppets rather than Billy the Puppet from Saw.
What follows are rote horror clichés: an eerie child; an eerie old house; a dimly lit cellar; and “trauma,” which seems to be the foundation of all contemporary horror films. It’s true that the movie doesn’t know what to do with all of this trauma. Jessica (DeWanda Wise), an illustrator and author, is troubled by her mother’s death from cancer; her father was institutionalized and haunts her dreams with scary spiders); she worries that her stepchildren won’t accept her as a parent; and their biological mother is also seriously disturbed.
It’s just not that the phantom pals are that threatening.
In any case, the show revolves around a hazy topic of parental anxiety, with Jessica becoming increasingly anxious as her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) spends an excessive amount of time with Chauncey the teddy bear. Eventually, some strange secrets start to surface. Some of these secrets come from an eye-rolling “twist,” if you can call it that; some come from one of the worst child psychologists in the world, who violates patient confidentiality to advance the plot; and some come from Jessica’s neighbor, Gloria (Betty Buckley), an elderly woman who might as well go by the name Basil Exposition, with lines of dialogue like, “Every culture has a name for it… The Spanish refer to it as “El Coco.”
Nothing about this scene is really bad, and Wise in particular is not really to fault for anything. It all seems a little bit flat. Although it’s not very long, the pace is tiresome. The dialogue is careless and worn out. Some very good M.C., but uninteresting and monotonous pictures. Even in the more fanciful last act, there is production design that is reminiscent of Escher, but it feels like too little, too late.
Sadly, the things that the Spanish refer to as “El Coco,” the malevolent spirits, and imaginary companions aren’t all that terrifying. They never quite touch down. Everything seems like it has been done so much better in the past. Superhero fatigue is a hot topic right now, but at this pace, we might also need to be concerned about horror weariness.