The Imaginary Blu-ray is now available for purchase for Blumhouse’s psychological horror movie. Directed and co-written by Jeff Wadlow, the Lionsgate movie features a great cast with DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Veronica Falcon, and a standout performance by young actress Pyper Braun. While the PG-13 offering is a bit lighter on scares than most would hope, it has a fun final act filled with some cool practical effects.
“When Jessica moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter, Alice, finds a stuffed bear named Chauncey. As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize that Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be,” says the synopsis.
Imaginary definitely falls into the gateway horror camp, where it’s a fitting horror movie for the whole family. This isn’t a slasher, and there’s no gore, but there’s a constant sense of eeriness and some scares throughout. The film is well-acted, with the family dynamic really standing out from the three main female actresses — Wise, Burns, and Braun.
Upon a second viewing, the psychological horror aspect definitely shined through more, as did the practical effects. Watching with the twist in mind is interesting as you get to reexamine scenes through that lens. While it’s certainly not The Sixth Sense, it’s a story beat that opens up the film for repeat viewings and makes it fun to watch with others as you get to see their reaction.
The best bonus feature on the Imaginary Blu-ray is the audio commentary, which features Wadlow and Wise giving insight into the film. Both are eloquent and insightful speakers, pointing out some smaller details and themes that viewers might miss upon first viewing. Since Wise was also an executive producer, she’s able to discuss more than just her own acting and scenes, which leads to a really nice conversation over the 104-minute runtime. Along with my recent interviews with the cast, it really made me appreciate the film’s craft and writing more.
Additionally, there’s a well-produced featurette titled “Exploring the Never Ever.” The 19-minute-long bonus features a lot of good behind-the-scenes shots of the sets and the practical effects, which I got a real kick out of. The cast and crew discuss some of their own childhood fears and use of imagination, which ties into the film, and then it takes a look at the costuming and creature design as well. I really enjoyed the look into the full beast costume for Chauncey and all of the work that went into making the creature come to life — a mix of technology, puppetry, and a very tall actor in the costume.
Imaginary Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict
Imaginary continues to prove that Blumhouse has horror figured out. Wadlow directs a solid gateway horror movie with some wonderful practical effects, which is further elevated by a strong, female-led cast. An entertaining commentary track and insightful featurette add value to a fun movie that is better upon revisiting.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received the product from the publisher for our Imaginary Blu-ray review.
