This weekend, John Krasinski’s IF, a fantasy comedy about imaginary friends, was released. The concept itself is familiar as there have been many imaginary friend movies in the past; Hollywood has explored the idea throughout the years in various ways, albeit not always in the same lighthearted, family-friendly tone. So, if you walked out of IF desiring a more profound or darker exploration of the imaginary friend concept, we’ve got you covered.
Read on for ten films to watch after IF. Note that not all of these are family adventures.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
The most obvious comparison to IF is Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic E.T., a story about a young boy named Elliot (Henry Thomas) who befriends a stranded alien. The concept brewed from Spielberg’s personal experience. After his parents’ divorce, a very young Spielberg imagined a best friend to guide him through the painful process, which is why it earns an honorary spot in our best imaginary friend movies. E.T. explores this notion by having its kind-hearted alien only interact with the children in the film, practically hidden from Elliot’s mother. Ultimately, Elliot’s friendship with E.T. helps the child navigate a tumultuous time and prepares him for the journey ahead.
Fight Club (1999)
David Fincher’s Fight Club lies on the opposite end of the IF and E.T. spectrum. This incredibly dark satire follows a world-weary recluse (Edward Norton) and his imaginary pal, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), attempting to destroy the establishment oppressing the world. Of course, we don’t know the truth about Tyler until the final reel, even though Fincher sprinkles subliminal clues throughout the picture. Eventually, Durden, in his own morbid way, helps our protagonist sort out his problems, leaving him in a better mental state than when we first met him. I think.
Cloak & Dagger (1984)
A few years after E.T., Henry Thomas starred in another family adventure featuring a pretend friend. Except, this time, the friend in question, action hero Jack Flack (the late, great Dabney Coleman), is, in fact, imaginary. Darker and more violent than your typical family flick, Cloak & Dagger follows Thomas’ Davey Osborne as he evades spies seeking a top-secret device in his possession. Taut, well-acted, and reasonably entertaining, this fantasy drama plays like an 80s mix tape, clunky tech and all. The story goes deeper than it has any right to, leading to a surprisingly emotional finale.
Inside Out (2015)
Pixar’s Inside Out remains one of the studio’s best offerings, a creative, colorful journey through a child’s mind dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence. Here, we follow the five “emotions” residing inside the mind of a young girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Davis), namely Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). Riley, you see, just moved to a new town and suddenly finds herself dealing with complex feelings, diminishing Joy’s impact and paving the way for more Sadness. Joy traverses through Riley’s mind, hoping to reignite her happiness. This wild journey brings her face-to-face with relics from the kid’s past, including her old imaginary pal, Bing Bong (Richard Kind).
Like all of Pixar’s early works, Inside Out packs an emotional wallop. Still, the picture is also clever, beautifully animated, and often hilarious — a modern classic and a fitting addition to our list of imaginary friend movies.
The Shining (1980)
Delving back into bleaker territory, Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic The Shining dips into the imaginary friend concept with terrifying results. In this case, young Danny (Danny Lloyd) conjures a fictional pal named Tony to deal with the fear and stress brought upon by his father (Jack Nicholson). As typical, Kubrick’s picture welcomes many theories regarding its deeper meanings. Every conclusion leads to a pitch-black ending involving axes, dead people, and a climactic chase through a snow-filled maze.
The Shining will rock you to your core. You can follow it up with Mike Flanagan’s equally disturbing sequel, Doctor Sleep. You’re welcome.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Taika Waititti wrote, directed, and co-stars in this dramedy about a Hitler Youth named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) who discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their basement. This realization causes Jojo to re-examine his beliefs, including his friendship with an imaginary (and free-spirited) Adolf Hilter (Waititti). Though darkly comedic, incredibly entertaining, and profound, Jojo Rabbit earned many well-deserved awards and accolades. It’s the type of film that lives with you forever.
Hide and Seek (2005)
John Polson’s forgettable early 2000s thriller finds a few new ways to utilize the imaginary friend concept. After the death of his wife, David Callaway (Robert DeNiro) moves to upstate New York with his daughter Emily (Dakota Fanning). There, Emily starts imagining a friend named Charlie. At first, this new character appears benevolent, but eventually, violent occurrences transpire, leaving David to investigate whether or not Charlie is a real person.
Hide and Seek is the type of B-movie trash you’d pick up from Blockbuster only after all the top-tier rentals were gone, but it’s still worth a watch. The cast is great, and while the twist is easy to deduce, there are enough shocking moments to ensure a moderately entertaining evening.
Harvey (1950)
This lighthearted romp sees Jimmy Stewart’s Elwood P. Dowd seemingly befriending an imaginary rabbit named Harvey, much to the chagrin of his family. Viewers are left to deduce whether or not Elwood is actually insane or literally seeing a 6-foot-tall rabbit. Stewart, as always, is terrific and wholeheartedly sells the absurd premise with typical charismatic zeal. The picture might be too dated or outlandish for some. Still, those willing to give it a chance will enjoy a whimsical, often hilarious, comedy.
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
Phoebe Cates stars in this outlandish comedy about a woman who releases her imaginary friend, “Drop Dead Fred” (Rik Mayall), to help guide her through a troubling time. A flop upon its release, Drop Dead Fred has gone on to achieve cult status, deservedly so. It’s weird, dumb fun, and the type of film only the early 90s could produce. Cates displays terrific comic timing, underscoring the insanity with a natural innocence that somehow makes her more appealing and scoring a spot on our list of the best imaginary friend movies.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Ron Howard pushes the idea of imaginary friends to the limit with Best Picture winner A Beautiful Mind. Except here, the concept is more frightening than fanciful, as Russell Crowe’s John Nash contends with figures crafted from schizophrenia. A brilliant mathematician, Nash must determine what is real and imagined to fulfill his quest to discover a great idea.
Crowe and co-star Jennifer Connelly deliver astonishing performances, and Howard effectively conveys the horrors of Nash’s disease. While the real-life events are decidedly less cloying than the picture suggests, A Beautiful Mind remains a powerful look at a fascinating individual.
Other Imaginary Friend Movies Worth Watching
Swiss Army Man: Paul Dano, stranded on a desert island, uses Daniel Radcliffe’s corpse in a thousand different ways, ultimately leading to an unlikely (and bizarre) friendship.
Cast Away: Tom Hanks, stranded on a desert island, befriends a volleyball he effectively calls Wilson, forming an unlikely friendship that allows him to survive his ordeal.
Donnie Darko: Jake Gyllenhaal imagines a man in a large rabbit suit who tricks him into committing terrible crimes.
