Director: Yoshiyuki Momose
Writer: Yoshiaki Nishimura
Stars: Louie Rudge-Buchanan, Evie Kiszel, Hayley Atwel
Synopsis: In rural Western Massachusetts, 11-year-old Lacy spends the summer of 1991 at home, enthralled by her own imagination and the attention of her mother, Janet. As the months pass, three visitors enter their orbit, all captivated by Janet.
Some say animation is not cinema. Yet, the new Netflix streaming film The Imaginary is a breathtaking example that challenges even the most cynical and closed-minded views of what makes film an art form.
After last year’s embarrassment of riches like the transcendent Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the exquisite artistry of The Boy and the Heron, and the shell-shockin’ good time of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, can we finally let the genre have a home of its own in the cinema lexicon?
The Imaginary is one of those films—a wonderful and creative breath of fresh air that is destined to be hailed by critics and audiences alike. The animation is gorgeous, and the story lives up to the limitless possibilities. This family film of unparalleled empathy and unspeakable compassion sparks a passionate fascination with what movies are and what so-called cinema can be.
There’s magic in it.
The story (and we will be going with the American voice cast) follows Amanda (Evie Kiszel), who has been struggling living in a single parent household. She has begun to distract herself with her best friend, Rudger (Louie Rudge-Buchanan), who happens to be a figment of her imagination. The imaginary Rudger can only be seen and interacted with by Amanda, and her mother, for obvious reasons, Lizzie (Hayley Atwell), cannot see him.
However, things come to a head when a nefarious character named Mr. Blunting (Jeremy Swift) comes to town, even to the family’s front door. He is looking for Amanda, and she is shocked when she finds out that the creepy man can see her imaginary friend and knows who Rudger is. After avoiding him and his little minion, who looks like a rip-off of Wednesday Addams, Amanda is injured, taken to the hospital, and has yet to wake up.
Rudger now faces the possibility of disappearing because if Amanda dies, he will go away, and no one will remember him. However, he runs into the precocious Emily (Sky Katz), the delightful Hippo, Snowflake (Roger Craig Smith), and a talking feline with heterochromia, Zinzan (Kal Penn), who takes him to the Town of Imaginaries, where they think Mr. Blunting is a folklore or urban legend. The question then becomes: can Rudger get back to Amanda before Mr. Blunting can get to him or before he fades into eternity?
The Imaginary is an adaptation of the book of the same name by A. F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett. There is an eye-opening team behind this project. Directed for the big (and small) screen by Yoshiyuki Momose and written by two-time Academy Award nominee Yoshiaki Nishimura, it is a stunning film by any standard, live-action or animation. The eclectic use of animation almost seems capricious at times, but the joyful madness on the screen is ambitious and stunning to take in.
And it’s no wonder, considering Momose, the legendary animator, cut his teeth working with the iconic Studio Ghibli on Hayao Miyazaki films such as Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, Whisper of the Heart, and Spirited Away. Here, he has crafted a movie as good as those. There is a sense of magic, wonder, and even hair raising dread with Momose’s vision, which comes to astonishing light.
The script is a pitch-perfect adaptation, bringing such ambitious source material to life. In particular, the ingenious way the story shifts subjects between the first and second acts while opening up a world of possibilities genuinely captures the audience’s fascination. The third act, which tests preconceptions of social constructs, is bold and teaches valuable lessons. You know, besides staying away from a creepy guy chasing kids, but themes of love, loss, and grief are deeply felt here.
The Imaginary is worth watching because it evokes wonderment, explores modern cultural themes, and employs innovative storytelling techniques. Not to mention its use of what has been described as “groundbreaking hand-drawn animation with first-of-their-kind techniques” using light and shadows.
The result is visible on the screen. Even the most minor scenes are intensely vibrant and engaging. Momose utilizes this technique to evoke emotions, employing precise lighting to immerse the viewer in a holistic experience. There is even a poignant scene near the end of the film with motion that’s almost lyrical, bringing some gravitas and real stakes to the story.
Sure, almost all the characters resemble Precious Moments figurines, but aside from that, everything about The Imaginary works harmoniously. It features unexpected moments that many studios wouldn’t dare attempt in crucial plot points. This is bold, ambitious, and exciting filmmaking that will awaken the child in you while occasionally delivering a punch of emotional resonance.
As I said, there’s magic in it.
