PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Blumhouse has done it again. From M3GAN to Five Nights at Freddy’s (our review), the LA-based production company has been dominating the PG-13 horror space over the past few years. And it’s newest addition to the family — Imaginary — is yet another eerie delight.
A few days before the film’s official March 8 release, I had the pleasure of seeing an early screening in New York. As someone who grew up surrounded by plushies, I was certainly intrigued to see how one could make a teddy bear as adorable as Chauncey a thing of nightmares. Let’s just say, I kept a close eye on my Build-A-Bears upon returning home that evening…
The plot of Imaginary is as follows: Jessica (DeWanda Wise, Jurassic World Dominion 2022) moves back into her childhood home with her husband Max (Tom Payne, The Walking Dead 2016) and two stepdaughters, Taylor (Taegen Burns, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers 2021) and Alice (Pyper Braun, Desperation Road 2023). Quickly, Alice becomes enthralled with a new teddy bear companion Chauncey, whom she discovers hidden away in the basement (talk about a red flag!). As her connection to the toy grows, Jessica realizes that Chauncey isn’t what he seems to be, and that her time spent in that house as a girl was not all sunshine and rainbows like she remembers.
From the first minute of Imaginary to the very end, the film held my attention. There are jump scares, suspenseful moments and constant twists and turns that make it a unique addition to the industry’s ever-growing lineup of creepy toy flicks. Rather than the usual tropes of “toy possessed by evil spirit” or “toy takes on a life of its own,” Chauncey is a different kind of entity, one that makes you question what’s real and what’s, well, imaginary.
On the movie and its leading stuffing-filled character, producer Jason Blum said,
“While each Blumhouse film has its unique elements, Imaginary stands out by introducing Chauncey as a memorable and distinctive character whose limits are only defined by those of your imagination. … Taking a common childhood experience and cranking up the fear factor is all about tapping into something relatable and then twisting it in a way that unsettles viewers. We start with the familiarity of that innocent memory and gradually introduce elements that make it eerie or disturbing. The goal is to create a sense of unease and make the audience question something they once considered safe, turning it into a source of fear and suspense.”
A highlight of Imaginary is when Jessica and Taylor, along with mysterious neighbor Gloria (Betty Buckley, Split 2016), head into the Never-Ever: a dark yet fantastical world where anything your mind can think of is possible…and where Chauncey has lured Alice to be by his side for eternity. Here, they encounter Chauncey in his true form: a larger-than-life beast that’s much different from the cuddly persona he puts on in the real world. As a viewer, I appreciate the fact that practical effects were used to bring the giant bear to life, rather than CGI.
Additionally, regarding Chauncey, while he’s not chasing people down ala Chucky, practical effects help to make him look threatening, even when he’s just sitting still. For example, his head is able to tilt at an angle, and his eyes are interchanged throughout the film, shifting from big and adorable to squinting and sinister when he feels wronged.
Blum said,
“The entertainment value of horror is centered around fear, and the more a filmmaker can create a realistic fear, the more the audience will be immersed in the story and in the horror. There are instances where CGI can hit the mark, but audiences gravitate towards practical over computer-generated effects for a more authentic experience. We’ve found that having the actors and puppeteers work together to bring the film’s creatures to life elicits the most genuine response.”
Imaginary – Final thoughts
Overall, Imaginary is a win in my book for a variety of reasons:
– It’s the perfect amount of horror mixed with nostalgia, tapping into the idea of just how powerful our minds can be as kids.
– It boasts an extremely strong female-led cast (Tom Payne misses most of the action, as his character goes off on tour before things go haywire), who you actually want to see survive. Plus, seeing the fractured bond between Jessica and her stepdaughters grow over the course of 90 minutes is pretty heartwarming to witness.
– It features plenty of alarming visuals (including a particularly gruesome facial effect on Alice in the Never-Ever) that will have audiences hiding being their bags of popcorn.
– Throughout the craziness, there are moments of levity, particularly when next-door neighbor Liam (Matthew Sato, Grown-ish 2022) is hilariously tormented by Chauncey while just trying to use the bathroom.
Now, if Blumhouse/Lionsgate can mass produce Chauncey plushies ASAP, that would be great.
Photos by Parrish Lewis for Lionsgate.
