Imaginary is boring. Instead of a story, the script drags out its obvious premise. It tries to hide this fact with shoehorned drama and endless dumps of unnecessary exposition. The characters are shallow and their emotions are rushed, so there's nothing to invest in. Stakes, motivations, and relationships all ring hollow. There's blunt dialogue, redundant scenes, thin sincerity, no themes, inconsistent rules, unearned triumph, dead-end threads, and over-explanations. Its actors break through with spurts of vulnerability but are usually confined by the monotonous material. Simply put, Imaginary's convoluted lore, derivative plots, and absent relatability are a punishing combination.
Technically, Imaginary is aimless and bland. Its direction offers limp tones, cheap jump scares, and no personality. The cinematography uses movement, angles, focus, and a drab finale. Its editing is a stagnant, repetitive, and structureless slog. The sound utilizes risers, emphasis, genre elements, echoes, distortions, and excessive stings. Its music is unimpactful and nondescript, besides a recurring lullaby. The production design adds monsters and an abstract climax, but is primarily generic and basic. Its cast has skill and diversity, but arbitrary fit and no star power. The effects supply makeup, prosthetics, and spotty CGI. Ultimately, Imaginary begs to be forgotten.
Writing: 2/10
Direction: 2/10
Cinematography: 5/10
Acting: 6/10
Editing: 2/10
Sound: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 4/10
Production Design: 6/10
Casting: 4/10
Effects: 6/10
Overall Score: 4.3/10
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