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
91
The A.V. ClubCindy WhiteJun 20, 2024
The Imaginary is an enchanting tale in which reality clashes with imagination in a battle to determine which is more powerful Read full review
85
SlashfilmBJ ColangeloJun 14, 2024
Sometimes you watch a film and know the moment the credits roll that you've witnessed something special, one that will become a beloved favorite and be passed down for years to come. The Imaginary is that film for 2024, a breathtaking feat of animation with a powerful story that lends it to being a generational classic in the making. Read full review
80
The TelegraphRobbie CollinJul 5, 2024
At a time when digital animation is breaking radical new ground, it can be tempting to view the hand-drawn sort as its old-fashioned forebear, with no more scope to evolve. But Momose’s film elegantly proves otherwise: it has the artistry, but also the visionary spark. Read full review
80
The GuardianRebecca LiuJul 3, 2024
The Imaginary may not be a standout in the rich and wide-ranging oeuvre of its makers, but it is a moving and charming testament to the delights of dreaming. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeJun 30, 2024
A beguiling, if slightly convoluted, fantasy. Read full review
80
Screen DailyWendy IdeJun 20, 2024
This adaptation of A.F. Harrold’s 2014 children’s book is an appealing, emotionally engaging fantasy; the art direction is intricate and exquisite. Read full review
80
ColliderChase HutchinsonJun 14, 2024
You get wrapped up in the whimsy of it all just before it all hits you like a truck, finding plenty of resonant emotional flashbacks that contextualize and deepen the experience just in time for the conclusion. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comCarlos AguilarJul 5, 2024
A single frame of “The Imaginary” can outshine the mass-produced, visually uninspired animation in some of the American offers targeting the same demographic. Read full review
74
PolygonTasha RobinsonJun 14, 2024
The Imaginary isn’t as visually or narratively rich as Mary and the Witch’s Flower, or as transcendent as Miyazaki projects like The Boy and the Heron. But it does feel like a move in the right direction for Ponoc, an effort at finding its own voice and its own footing. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBrandon YuJul 5, 2024
The movie falters periodically under the weight of its own dream logic, which can be hard to follow or flimsily constructed as the story gains momentum. But it’s mostly easy to move past those flaws in a work of such rich magical realism and heart. Read full review
70
Paste MagazineJesse HassengerJul 5, 2024
The third release from Studio Ponoc, a Japanese animation studio formed by former Studio Ghibli staffers, The Imaginary is a little twinklier and more straightforward than its Ghibli cousins, with some dreamscapes that look suspiciously Lisa Frank-y. But it has more legitimate imagination than the sweaty whimsy of IF. Read full review
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