Director: John Krasinksi

Stars: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Steve Carrell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Written and directed by John Krasinski, this obvious labour of love aims for poignancy and fun but flounders due to bizarrely convoluted execution.

Casey Fleming is Bea, a twelve-year-old girl who lost her mum some years earlier. When her dad (Krasinski) is admitted to hospital for heart surgery, Casey must move in with her well-meaning granny (Shaw).

One day, walking the streets of NYC she spots a man Cal (Reynolds) talking to various fantastical creatures including the large purple furry monster Blue (voiced by Carrell) and Blossom (Waller-Bridge) a retro dancer doll. It is revealed that Blossom and Blue are imaginary friends (IFs) that had been abandoned once their child had grown up, or presumably hit puberty. They visit Cal’s Coney Island headquarters full of abandoned IFs and Bea promises to help them all find new children to bond with.

The central conceit is solid enough, even if may of the IFs are dully generic, particularly Blue’s wide-eyed sensitive beast. The script gets so bogged down in explaining this world’s lore that it forgets to make room for the fun stuff about pairing up the IFs with appropriate children until well in to the one hour-forty-five-minute running time, while Michael Giacchino’s score's insistence that this is all very funny and/or magical becomes very wearing. The only real moment of wonder and earned emotion comes via Fiona Shaw, classing up the film, as her gran character revisits a childhood dream.

IF is out 16th May

David Willoughby

Follow David on Twitter @DWill_Crackfilm