DVD Corner

Imaginary Blu-ray Review

“Imaginary” is another Blumhouse dud. 

In 2024’s horror film “Imaginary,” a children’s book author (Jessica) moves into her childhood home with her new husband (Max) and his 2 daughters (Alice and Taylor). As the family settles in, Alice finds a teddy bear named Chauncey that she begins to connect with. Unfortunately, this is when things take a dark turn as Alice begins to act abnormally. Moreover, it seems the bear doesn’t actually exist and is imaginary (only Alice and Jessica can see it). The plot begins to thicken when Jessica learns more about her forgotten childhood from her former babysitter Gloria and the fact that she used to see Chauncey herself. As it turns out, Chauncey is from a realm called the Never Ever and he’s trying to lure people into it.

Director Jeff Wadlow is responsible for some of the worst Blumhouse films with “Truth Or Dare” and “Fantasy Island.” “Imaginary” can now be added to his list of turkeys. 

Like many horror films, the story set-up works well enough despite being riddled with horror cliches. The notion of a character (Jessica) moving into her childhood home to confront past trauma that spills over into the present is ripe with potential as is the concept of a creepy imaginary teddy bear. Alas, the Jeff Wadlow, Greg Erb and Jason Oremland script quickly morphs into nothing more than a rip-off of horror classics like “Insidious” (the Never Ever is one big Further wannabe), “Coraline,” and even “Nightmare On Elm Street.” There’s not an original bone in its body. Even the imaginary teddy bear storyline feels decidedly underutilized here. How do you even mess that up?

No disrespect to Betty Buckley, but the Gloria character sticks out like a sore thumb. She’s nothing more than a convenient and clumsy exposition device designed to throw a twist into the story. She feels like she’s from another movie entirely.

Outside of respectable performances by DeWanda Wise (Jessica) and Pyper Braun (Alice), the only other highlight here is the production design and creature effects/make-up. While partially CGI, the physical Never Ever sets were creepy and well designed. Likewise, it was refreshing to see non-CGI creatures here! Could there have been more? Yes, but what we do get is the only fun horror element to be found here.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? Viewers can expect a pristine print.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? Every door creak and echo sounds incredibly dynamic thanks to this perfect Atmos track. 

Extras:
* DVD copy
* Digital copy
* Commentary by Jeff Wadlow and DeWanda Wise.
* “Imaginary: Exploring The Never Ever”- A 4 part featurette that features interviews, film clips, set footage, and discussions about fears, costumes, the beasts, and the Never Ever world.

May 19, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Blumhouse, DeWanda Wise, horror, Horror Movie, Imaginary Blu-ray Review, Imaginary Movie, Teddy Bear