Parents' Guide to

IF

Movie PG 2024 104 minutes
IF Movie Poster: A purple, furry figure walks down a city street amid human characters

Common Sense Media Review

Tara McNamara By Tara McNamara , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Poignant fantasy about loss and the power of imagination.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 8+

Based on 75 parent reviews

age 5+

Could have been 5 Star!

My family enjoyed this movie; however, it would have been great if the script didn’t call for the cast and characters to flippantly use God’s name. There was absolutely no need. I know in today’s world people don’t even realize they are saying His name. It didn’t add anything to the movie. I would appreciate His name only being used to honor Him.

age 12+

Like ordering mac n’ cheese for your kid, but it ends up being a mature version, with bleu cheese, head-on shrimp, and veggies instead of macaroni.

This is a movie for tweens and older. It’s not a comedy and it’s not a kids movie. It’s a sentimental semi-artsy atmosphere piece with a slow pace. It’s ultimately about a 12 year old girl’s tragic loss, and the semi-fun/magical world that helps her cope through it. My 7 yr old daughter and 5 yr old son were both bored at several points. 90 minutes in, I was checking my watch and wondering when it was going to be over too. The funny moments in the preview are the sum of all funny moments in the film. The marketing did this film a disservice by setting the wrong expectation. Given a more correct expectation, and for a more appropriate audience, it’s a good movie on its own merits. Also, I found it oddly insensitive for a movie (supposedly) aimed at young people to have probably 25 instances of “Oh my G*d!” and often from the cartoon characters themselves. They could have used silly/funny statements of exasperation instead and got a few more laughs, but they went all in on something that a lot of kids in the target audience aren’t even allowed to say (whether for spiritual reasons or because it’s impolite and “not something the queen would say”). For some, that sort of thing can feel deeply unpleasant and insensitive. Not understanding the spiritual beliefs of a certain culture does not invalidate them. We all get deep meaning from different things, and what’s helpful for one person may or may not be for another. But we’re all on the same human team, and respecting what others hold as valuable is how we get to peace, love and mutual respect.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (75 ):
Kids say (37 ):

Writer-director and co-star Krasinski's imaginative fantasy is poignant and full of wonder. It's magical, giving off E.T. vibes, and Reynolds' Calvin is reminiscent of Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka, a quirky pessimist who's outwardly discouraging while secretly rooting for the kid to figure out the puzzle. And, like both E.T. and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the curiosity-meets-melancholy score in IF is central to understanding that while Bea is acting tough, she's also facing something terrifying: the potential death of her father, only a few years after the loss of her mother. It's a lot, but the movie artfully avoids overplaying viewers' emotions. It also serves an important purpose, demonstrating how imagination isn't just a creative outlet, but also a powerful coping mechanism.

Bea's journey with the IFs is ultimately rewarding, even though—it has to be said—the beginning does drag a bit. But when IF hits its stride, it becomes a mind-bending, eye-popping, musical extravaganza that's truly unforgettable. (The movie is worth seeing for that bit alone.) Teens may think the imaginary friend story will be too babyish for them, but even they may be swayed by its sweetness. And for families of elementary school-aged kids and tweens, IF makes for a simply enchanting movie night.

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate