Imaginary Has Become Another Disappointment for Blumhouse

Imaginary is continuing Blumhouse Productions‘ losing streak. The supernatural thriller marks the fourth consecutive film produced by the low-budget production company that failed to impress critics. The other films that make up this group are Night Swim, Five Nights at Freddy’s (which, despite a low critical reception, was well received by audiences), and The Exorcist: Believer (the first of a planned – but now seeminly defunct – trilogy).

Imaginary

2.5/5

Release Date

March 8, 2024

Studio

Blumhouse Productions, Lions Gate Films, Tower of Babble Entertainment

Tagline

Meet Chauncey. He’s not imaginary, and he’s not your friend.

Producer

Jason Blum, Jeff Wadlow, p.g.a.

When looking at the four features’ Rotten Tomatoes Scores, Night Swim and The Exorcist: Believer sit tied at the bottom spot with 22%. Imaginary holds a 31% —but that will likely change given that the film was just released on Friday —while Five Nights at Freddy’s has a 32% critical rating. Totally Killer and The Passenger preceded these four films, and both earned rave reviews from critics.

Imaginary stars DeWanda Wise as Jessica, a woman who returns to her childhood home and discovers that the imaginary friend she left behind is very real and unhappy that she abandoned him. Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Matthew Sato, Veronica Falcón, and Betty Buckle round out the cast. The film is directed and co-written by Jeff Wadlow, who previously collaborated with Blumhouse on Truth or Dare and Fantasy Island; both films fared terribly with critics. Imaginary is a collaboration between Blumhouse and Tower of Babble.

Criticism surrounding Imaginary is mostly centered around the film’s storyline and lack of scares. The Guardian’s review points out Blumhouse’s recent stream of poorly received films, noting “another sub-par day at the Blumhouse factory, production line operating at full, breakneck speed, yet machinery on the perilous verge of total collapse,” adding that “quality control has forever been an issue and in the last year or so, it’s barely existed.”

What’s Next for Blumhouse?

While its last four films may signal a concerning trend for the production studio, not all hope should be lost. Given Blumhouse’s vast number of projects, there are bound to be duds. The company does boast its fair share of successful horror outings, including Get Out, Sick, Freaky, M3Gan, and The Black Phone, with the two latter films set for sequels. Blumhouse, founded in 2000 by Jason Blum and Amy Israel, has focused primarily on the horror genre, but it is also behind the Academy Award-nominated dramas Whiplash and BlacKkKlansman.

1:45

Related

The 15 Best Blumhouse Horror Movies, Ranked

Jason Blum’s popular production company Blumhouse has become synonymous with good horror movies. These are their 15 best films, ranked.

Blumhouse’s next feature, Speak No Evil, is a psychological horror thriller based on the critically revered 2022 Danish film of the same name. The adaptation is written and directed by James Watkins, who also served in the same capacity for the acclaimed Eden Lake. This will mark Watkins’ first collaboration with Blumhouse.

The original 2022 film follows the story of a Danish couple, Bjorn and Louise, and their daughter, Agnes, who meet a Dutch couple (Patrick and Karin) and their son, Abel, while vacationing in Tuscany. When Patrick and Karin invite Bjorn, Louise, and Agnes to visit their homes in the Netherlands, they oblige, but they soon start noticing some troubling behavior. Despite their observations, they decide to stay, leading to a terrifying conclusion.

Watkins’ adaptation stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, and Scoot McNairy. If the feature can follow in the footsteps of its disturbing predecessor, it would definitely break Blumhouse’s bad streak. Speak No Evil is scheduled for release on January 24, 2025.