The Imaginary
Netflix | Release Date: June 28, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Time OutPhil de SemlyenJul 5, 2024
With no Ghibli film in the offing (although My Neighbor Totoro is getting a UK cinema re-release in August), The Imaginary is an often delightful way to fill the anime gap. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeJun 20, 2024
For a film all about creative fancy, The Imaginary doesn’t always offer the kind of compelling moments one might expect. The fine animation can be blunted by a predilection for obvious exposition, dialogue that doesn’t stretch the imagination as much as it could. Read full review
60
IGNRyan GaurJun 14, 2024
The Imaginary fails to capitalisze on some great ideas and wonderful animation. While it will shine as one of the best-looking films of the year with its ambitious 2D animation, that gloss can only do so much for a story that abandons its most interesting elements for a tried and tired rendition of an animated fairytale. Read full review
58
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodJun 14, 2024
There are moments of genuine magic that make you wonder what this movie could have been. But do they linger like that imaginary friend you’ll never forget? In this case, perhaps not. Read full review
50
The Film StageEli FriedbergJul 2, 2024
The film isn’t slight on effort, and the Studio Ponoc crew isn’t lacking talent (better realized in their short-film anthology Modest Heroes). But The Imaginary seems crucially lacking in the very quality it so breathlessly extols: it’s technical competency without imaginative vision, nor deep understanding of children. Read full review
50
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJun 14, 2024
This creatively unbound tale about imaginary friends is so determined to spirit you away that it soon loses any meaningful grip on reality. Read full review
40
Screen RantBen GibbonsJun 21, 2024
Despite being a story about a world full of imagination and incredible adventures, the narrative moves slowly, hoping to succeed thanks to the animation. Read full review
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