FionaShaw – Credits Rolling

Kate (Julianne Moore) owns and lives in Echo Valley, a tranquil ranch, where she trains horses and provides riding lessons to the community. Struggling with the loss of her wife, she is starting to wonder how she will continue to make ends meet. When her daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney) shows up unexpectedly, Kate’s life is turned upside down.

Penned by Brad Ingelsby, the man behind Mare of Easttown, the audience is gripped from the get go. While it takes a bit of time to set up, this is all important in the grand scheme of things. Once the players are established and we learn what’s at stake, it ramps up rather quickly.

Where the film excels is definitely in its performances. Moore is almost always perfect and she more than delivers here. She really drives home the never-ending question of how far a mother would go for their child. Sweeney is a convincing drug addict. She really made me hate her character which just goes to show that she gave everything she had to the role. Fiona Shaw portrays Leslie who serves as an anchor of sorts for Moore’s Kate; a ride or die friend who deserves a medal. Lastly Domhnall Gleeson is dealer Jackie. Perfectly creepy in every single way, it was strange to see him like this!

There’s no doubt that the setting is stunning. It helps bring out the uneasy tone that is felt throughout. From the vast acres of the ranch to the serene lake and the old-fashioned house where Kate resides, the limited locations make the film even more intimate and like these characters and places could actually be real.

Overall Echo Valley is an entertaining thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It may have taken some time to get going and the plot may not be entirely original, but that didn’t bother me. I liked that it didn’t go where I was expecting it to and that there were still some surprises along the way.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

John Krasinki is back in the director’s seat with a completely different type of film. Bea (Cailey Fleming) is going through a tough time. When she moves in with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw), she ends up befriending one of the upstairs neighbors named Cal (Ryan Reynolds). Cal is on a mission to reunite IFs, or imaginary friends, with new children as their old ones have grown up and forgotten about them. He enlists the help of Bea and together they embark on a magical adventure.

Where the film exceeds is in its casting. Fleming is a great pick for our protagonist. I’ve never seen her before, but her performance was endearing and relatable. Reynolds seems to dial it back a bit from his usual song and dance to give Fleming more of the spotlight. He’s still a very important player though and the two worked well together. For me it was the different voices that brought the IFs to life that I had fun discovering: Steve Carell as Blue, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Blossom, Louis Gossett Jr. as Lewis, Akwafina as Bubble, Emily Blunt as Unicorn, George Clooney as Spaceman, Bradley Cooper as Ice and many more.

Unfortunately there are some pacing issues that are evident throughout. Things take too long to get going in the beginning. There’s some groundwork that needs to be set up with the audience learning about Bea’s life which is fine, but I wanted more time with the IFs! I also felt like it wrapped up way too quickly in the end.

The moral of the story of getting back in touch with your inner child really spoke to me. I was one of those kids who had an imaginary friend and I could totally relate in that I don’t even remember who they are anymore. Just because you grow up doesn’t mean you don’t have to forget the parts of you that made you happy when you were younger. These sentiments really tugged at my heartstrings.

Overall IF was an enjoyable film that the whole family can enjoy. It will certainly resonate with children for the beloved friends they will meet along the way, but I think it is the adults who will get the most out of it. Though it may have gotten a bit muddled along the way, it is still worth checking out.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5