More often than not, films are just one thing. They are either deep or they are pretty. Rarely do they manage both. Studio Ponoc’s The Imaginary, however, is a beautiful, visually groundbreaking animated film. It is also a deeply emotional tale about friendship, growing up, and the enduring power of imagination.
Amanda and Rudger (not Roger, never, ever Roger, because no one imagines a friend as boring as Roger) are friends. No, they are best friends. Not just the kind that do everything together, but the kind that have adventures together, and save each other during those adventures. And most importantly, Amanda and Rudger are the kind of best friends that never, ever forget each other. Not when it matters.
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But Amanda’s adventures with Rudger are not all imaginary. And the Town of the Imaginaries, where Rudger finds himself, is not all about make-believe. Because imagination, in the end, is a much more powerful force than anything Rudger or Amanda can conceive. Imagination is what makes the world go round, even when we don’t really understand it.
We, however, do understand so much of what is behind The Imaginary. We understand friendship, the kind that would make you willing to give up everything, just to prove to make sure the person you love is safe. We understand grief, the one that you try to hide deep within but that at times, expands until it feels like it will drown you from the inside out. And we understand finding comfort in your thoughts because there isn’t anything in the world outside that can truly help you the way they can.
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That’s what makes the adventure at the center of this tale so relatable. Even if we lived in a perfect world, one we could imagine, wouldn’t we give it all up for a chance to help the people we love? What is more important, a perfect imaginary world or love? Can you imagine that love, or is love the one real thing in the world?
Whatever answers you think you have, and whatever answers The Imaginary might have, the best thing about the movie is that it invites more questions. And, if anything, the power of The Imaginary is in finding a visual way to send its message. Grief, love, and the ways they intersect are universal themes, and yet the fact that the movie blends a world of imagination that isn’t a cure, but can be a balm on the soul – not just for a child, but for anyone who can find it in themselves to look is both a relief and a discovery.
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Imagination isn’t the enemy, but it also cannot be the only cure for all of life’s problems. Like with everything, there has to be a balance. We have to find that balance. And if that means letting our inner child remember the adventures as we move forward into life, then perhaps we will all be better for it.
Are you excited for The Imaginary? Share with us in the comments below!
The Imaginary premieres on Netflix on July 5th.