Cherry picks from superior flicks
Whether it’s Freddy Krueger sharpening his knifed glove, the demons in Insidious’ The Further or Pan’s Labyrinth’s Pale Man’s immediate need to see an optician, dream worlds have been a constant source of horror material for decades.
As a result, when a new film in the genre rolls around using fantasy frights and make-believe antagonists it really has to have something fresh and exciting to say.
Unfortunately, Blumhouse’s Imaginary doesn’t really add anything new and instead cherry picks elements from other flicks that delivered similar superior scares.
DeWanda Wise stars as Jessica, who returns to her childhood home to discover that the imaginary friend she left behind is very real – and unhappy that she abandoned him.
Director and co-writer Jeff Wadlow’s track record in horror (Truth or Dare, Cry Wolf, Fantasy Island) is much maligned but while recognising the quality is low, I have found great rewatchability in his work – probably in a so-bad-it’s-good way.
I can’t see myself revisiting Imaginary any time soon, though, as it’s just bland, and seriously lacking in the type of fearsome, creative frights that should have resulted from its concept.
How scary you find it probably depends on how terrifying you think a teddy bear can be, although, to be fair, youngster Pyper Braun (Alice) does a fine job as the creepy kid caught up in a nightmare no-one takes seriously.
Wise tries her best to inject her character with pathos amid a troubled past but the script does her no favours, while The Walking Dead’s Tom Payne (Max) is unlikely to earn an easier wage and Betty Buckley (Gloria) basically recycles her performance from M. Night Shyamalan’s Split.
When we finally enter an imaginary world it gifted Wadlow the chance to go wild and ramp up the tension and threatening antagonists but we are a long way off The Further here.
Blumhouse has done some wonderful things in the world of horror – and made a substantial amount of money – but with Imaginary coming off the heels of Night Swim and The Exorcist: Believer, it’s clear the studio has to take more care choosing its upcoming projects.
●Pop me an email at ian.bunting@ reachplc.com and I will pass on any movie or TV show recommendations you have to your fellow readers.