The teddy bear horror film "Imaginary" directed by Jeff Wadlow premiered in theaters on Friday, March 8. The three main characters in this film, Jessica (DeWanda Wise), Taylor (Taegen Burns), and Alice (Pyper Braun), were a combination of humorous and thrilling. There aren't many scary movies with demonic teddy bears, thus this one stood out from the usual horror genre. The evil teddy bear did bring similar elements from the "Chucky" movie.
Synopsis
The main character Jessica is the stepmother of her husband Max's (Tom Payne) children Alice and Taylor. They decide to move to Jessica's childhood home which becomes creepier than it looks. The youngest daughter Alice goes wandering throughout the house into the basement and finds this stuffed bear named Chauncey. After Alice makes Chauncey her imaginary friend, her behavior becomes abnormal. Jessica is a children's book author, which is her passion, while her husband Max goes on tour; this is when Jessica watches the children until he is back. She becomes more concerned about Alice after she realizes what she is saying about Chauncey.
Highs
The interior of the home, which looked stunning, was one of the film's highlights; one did not anticipate it to be as creepy as it was. The audience was entertained even though this film was more of a thriller than a horror film. The actors in particular, especially DeWanda Wise as Jessica and Pyper Braun as Alice, were very outstanding. Wise offered the daughters the ideal impression of a stepmother who is both reassuring and unafraid to take on a motherly role. The film's emotional journey effectively highlights Jessica's character and her transformation into a mother. Braun played the typically sassy young child who was fiercely loyal to her stuffed animal.
Braun's acting was excellent, especially considering that she is only ten years old. Throughout the film, she displayed distressing feelings that a child shouldn't have to experience. Next, Taegan Burns' character starts as a snobby adolescent who hates her stepmother; yet, as the film progresses, their relationship becomes even closer. Her character Taylor had an incredible transformation from an arrogant adolescent to a strong young woman.
Lows
The lack of numerous jump-scares and the fact that the film was more thrilling than frightening were its negative points. Although the concept was unsettling, it lacked the elements of a horror film. The stuffed animal in the movie was also creepy but not as much as in typical horror films where the animals are meant to wander around. The child was more conscious of what she was doing, as if the teddy bear hadn't taken control, and the bear was merely appearing rather than moving.
The absence of their father and the lack of context surrounding their mother was another negative point of the film. More background information on what transpired with the children's mother and why they moved away should have been provided. The plot seemed to be lacking something as the storyline developed. Their daughter Taylor caused some of the movie's plot points to become unclear.
Verdict
The film was entertaining, but it lacked some elements that would have turned it from fascinating and mysterious to more terrifying. Watching it as a thriller is worthwhile.
Rating: 6 out of 10.
Mariam Fakhreddine is a film and theater reviewer for The Eastern Echo. She has worked as a news and features reporter for The Echo for two years.
