In the crammed video aisle of supernatural horror films, the introduction of a villainous teddy bear in Imaginary might initially raise more eyebrows than pulse rates. Directed with a keen eye for the absurd by Jeff Wadlow (director of NOFS fave Cry_Wolf) and penned by the trio of Wadlow, Greg Erb, and Jason Oremland, this latest offering from Blumhouse Productions – the powerhouse behind a slew of commodified villains – might seem like it’s scraping the bottom of the horror trope barrel. The film stars DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, and the delightful Betty Buckley, in a narrative that threads the familiar needle of haunted playthings and the unseen horrors they sneak under our beds.
“..Imaginary manages to swerve unexpectedly from eye-roll-worthy to surprisingly delightful. “
The premise of Imaginary tiptoes around the edge of being all too familiar: Jessica (DeWanda Wise) and her family, including the youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun), move back to her childhood home, only for Alice to unearth a seemingly innocuous stuffed bear, Chauncey, from the basement. As expected, Chauncey is no ordinary bear, and Alice’s attachment to it heralds a series of increasingly sinister events. Herein lies the film’s first stumble; the well-worn path of imaginary friends and malevolent childhood relics feels somewhat exhausted. Any anticipation for innovation is met with a premise that feels as if it’s been pulled from an already dog-eared page of the horror genre’s playbook.
However, Imaginary manages to swerve unexpectedly from eye-roll-worthy to surprisingly delightful. It’s as if the film looked into the abyss of its own absurdity and decided to embrace it with open arms. Chauncey, with his adorably menacing facial expressions, becomes an unlikely anchor for the film’s charm. The campy special effects – including the memorable, though hardly frightening, teddy bear eyes on human characters – contribute to a sense of gleeful, self-aware absurdity. Imaginary leans into its silliness with such enthusiasm that it’s hard not to be swept along for the ride, despite a small echo of Coraline’s vibes in its approach.
The extended horror sequences, highlighted by a suspenseful game of cat and mouse involving nothing but a teddy bear and its ripcord, are executed with a finesse that contrasts the film’s otherwise fluffy antagonist. Here, Imaginary excels, ramping up tension without resorting to cheap thrills or redundant scares, a strategy reminiscent of James Wan’s most celebrated works, like Insidious. The film commendably refrains from undercutting its own suspense, choosing instead to maintain the integrity of its frights, even with a 2-foot antagonist at its helm.
Among the performances, DeWanda Wise’s portrayal of Jessica shines brightly, even if her relentlessly positive vibe sometimes feels out of step with the film’s darker turns. Taegen Burns shines as the quintessentially sullen stepdaughter, and Betty Buckley delivers a memorable turn as the nosy neighbor with a library’s worth of crucial exposition.
“Imaginary might just be the teddy bear-themed horror movie you didn’t know you needed.”
As Imaginary careens into its finale, it throws in everything but the kitchen sink – a not-so-beloved hallmark of the genre. The film’s endgame, while brimming with the kind of over-the-top, campy energy that marks its best parts, feels like a somewhat disjointed conclusion to its dual ambitions: to tell a profound story of family and trauma, and to revel in its identity as a ‘cheeseball movie about an evil bear’. It’s in its unapologetic embrace of the latter that Imaginary finds its sweet spot.
Despite flirting with some of horror’s more overdone clichés, Imaginary manages to carve out a niche for itself with its embrace of the absurd. It proves that all a good horror flick might need is a dash of creativity and a willingness to lean into the madness. So, if you’re game for a movie that doesn’t skimp on the cheese or the thrills, Imaginary might just be the teddy bear-themed horror movie you didn’t know you needed.
Imaginary is in theatres now. If you caught the film, share your thoughts in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord Community!
