How to Watch John Krasinski’s IF from Home
By Movieguide® Contributor
John Krasinski’s IF is now available to stream on Paramount+.
IF, an abbreviation of “Imaginary Friend,” released to theaters this past May.
A synopsis of the movie reads:
IF is a comical fantasy written and directed by John Krasinski of A QUIET PLACE and THE OFFICE. He stars as the widowed father of a 12-year-old girl, Bea. Bea’s staying with her grandmother while her father prepares for heart surgery in the hospital. One day, Bea finds a cartoon insect named Blossom and a large furry blue creature named Blue lurking around the building. They are friends of a man named Cal. Bea decides to help Cal find new children for them and other Imaginary Friends who’ve been forgotten.
Movieguide® praised IF’s “Strong moral worldview [which] celebrates imagination, creativity, love, family, and having a youthful attitude.” Part of the review reads:
IF is beautifully shot and performed. It also has some fun adventures and humorous situations, with lots of creativity. However, what’s most surprising about the movie are its heartfelt dramatic moments, which are emotionally powerful. IF is a celebration of imagination, creativity, love, and family. The movie promotes the idea that adults should maintain a youthful attitude and not abandon the imagination and love they had as children. IF is relatively family friendly. However, it’s marred by some meandering moments, four light obscenities and 15 light profanities. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older pre-teen children.
Variety revealed that the movie was received with mixed reviews.
“It earned a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes and 88% audience score,” Variety reported. “After its opening weekend, it fell short of box office expectations by earning $33.7 million, but it has since grossed over $185 million worldwide.”
As of July 9, it holds the No. 9 spot at the 2024 box office.
Krasinski wrote IF with his daughters in mind. Movieguide® previously reported:
“The idea came from my kids,” Krasinski said when asked where the idea for IF came from. “I wanted to always make a movie for my kids, and I would just stand in doorways watching my two girls go into this magical world that as parents were not allowed into, and I just thought that would make a really good movie.”
The actor explained that he saw a change in his girls when the pandemic hit.
“Then the pandemic hit, and I saw their light went out, and they started imagining fewer and fewer games. And they started to let the real world in and said ‘are we going to be okay?’ And I said, ‘You know what, I should write a movie about how that magical world that you created you can always go back to,’” he described.
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