What age is Imaginary appropriate for?

Imaginary is rated PG-13 and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 14+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The film contains multiple deeply disturbing sequences — including Alice attempting to impale her hand with a rusty nail during a scavenger hunt, Jessica cutting her arm with scissors as part of a self-harm ritual to enter the spirit world, and extended scenes in a twisted spirit world where a malevolent entity pursues and restrains characters — that make it unsuitable for children under 14.

Does Imaginary have swearing or bad language?

Imaginary has Mild language. Strong language used: 'shit' (4 times), 'asshole' (1 time), 'damn' (1 time).

Is Imaginary violent?

Imaginary has Moderate violence. Alice attempts to impale her hand with a rusty nail during a scavenger hunt directed by the entity Chauncey — shown as a genuinely alarming moment of child self-endangerment.

Is Imaginary OK for Kids?

Name: Imaginary
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Released: 2024
Duration: 104 min
Cast: DeWanda Wise, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Betty Buckley, Tom Payne

HorrorMystery

14+

PG-13⭐ 4.8 / 102024 · 1h 44m

Jeff Wadlow

Where to Watch

United States

Stream

Rent

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

Alice attempts to impale her hand with a rusty nail during a scavenger hunt directed by the entity Chauncey — shown as a genuinely alarming moment of child self-endangerment.
Jessica cuts her own arm with scissors as part of a ritual required to open a doorway into the spirit world — the self-harm is shown as a deliberate, purposeful act.
Jessica's father is depicted in a state of cognitive breakdown, shown being physically aggressive toward a young Jessica — presented as a traumatic childhood memory.
The entity Chauncey physically attacks and restrains multiple characters inside the spirit world during the climactic sequence.
The entity is destroyed in the climactic confrontation — shown dissolving and burning when exposed to fire and imagination — depicted in a graphic, visually intense way.
Characters run and fight through the spirit world attempting to escape the supernatural creature in a prolonged action sequence.
No firearms are used; violence is primarily supernatural and ritualistic in nature, with self-harm being the most distressing element for many viewers.

💬Language

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

Strong language used: 's**t' (4 times), 'a**hole' (1 time), 'da**' (1 time).
Moderate language used: 'hell' (1 time), 'bitchy' (1 time).
No f-words, c-words, or slurs detected in the extraction.
Language is infrequent and largely incidental rather than pervasive throughout the film.

👻Scary Scenes

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

The central revelation — that the imaginary friend Chauncey is a malevolent entity that has caused multiple children to vanish over the decades — is deeply disturbing and forms the backbone of the film's horror.
Alice mysteriously disappears from her locked bedroom, a genuinely frightening scene that sets the plot in motion.
Dr. Soto reveals a pattern of missing children connected to imaginary friend attachments, including a past patient named Luis — the implication that this has happened many times before adds sustained dread.
Extended spirit-world sequences show twisted, corrupted versions of familiar spaces and feature the entity pursuing characters in an attempt to trap them permanently.
Gloria is revealed to have been an accomplice who has been trapped in the spirit world for years — a disturbing reveal about a character who seemed trustworthy.
The entity's true form and full power are displayed in the climactic sequence, which is designed to be visually and emotionally overwhelming.
The film builds sustained psychological dread throughout its middle section as the imaginary friend's true malevolent nature is progressively revealed — this slow-burn horror may be more unsettling than jump scares for many viewers.
Scary sequences are ultimately resolved through Jessica's sacrifice and the destruction of the entity, but the journey involves significant trauma and peril to child characters.

💕Romance

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Jessica and Max are shown as a married couple with brief physical affection — limited to light, incidental moments.
No sexual content, nudity, or sexual implication of any kind is present in the extraction.
Romance is not a focus of the film and does not require parental concern.

🍺Substances

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

A character makes a casual reference to consuming an edible drug that caused hallucinations, described humourously as making their 'left eye see 12 seconds into the future' — presented as a throwaway anecdote rather than depicted on screen.
Taylor discusses hiding alcohol consumption by filling a cup with apple juice — mentioned in dialogue, not shown, and framed as a teen behaviour rather than glorified.
Substance use is not shown on screen, not a focus of any scene, and is not depicted as glamorous or consequence-free.
No smoking, hard drug use, or addiction storylines are present in the extraction.

⚡Stimulation

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

The extended climactic sequence set in the spirit world — featuring the entity pursuing characters, a self-harm ritual, and Jessica's sacrifice — is sustained, loud, and relentlessly high-tension.
The ritual sequence requiring characters to inflict self-harm to enter the spirit world is intensely uncomfortable and emotionally charged beyond just its physical content.
The film's middle section builds dread deliberately and continuously as Chauncey's true nature is revealed, creating prolonged psychological tension rather than isolated spikes.
The combination of supernatural horror imagery, child-in-peril scenarios, and emotionally intense family drama makes this film unsuitable for sensory-sensitive children or those prone to anxiety.
Not recommended for children under 13 on stimulation grounds alone; the spirit-world sequences in particular are designed to be disorienting and overwhelming.

Imaginary — Heads Up for Parents

Despite being marketed as a supernatural creature-feature, the film's most disturbing content is its depiction of children in self-harm situations — specifically, Alice being compelled to impale her hand with a rusty nail and Jessica cutting her own arm with scissors as part of a ritual — which may be genuinely upsetting to parents of children who have experienced self-harm, and could be triggering for teen viewers with that history.

About Imaginary

Imaginary is a 2024 supernatural horror film in which Jessica, a children's book author, moves into her childhood home with her husband Max and stepdaughters Taylor and Alice. When young Alice becomes obsessed with a stuffed bear named Chauncey and begins behaving dangerously, Jessica discovers that Chauncey is a malevolent entity that has caused multiple children to vanish over the years. The film builds toward a dark spirit-world rescue as Jessica confronts her own traumatic childhood and sacrifices herself to save her family.

👨‍👧

Best watched together

The self-harm ritual, child-in-peril sequences, and themes of childhood trauma and mental illness affecting families are heavy enough that teens aged 14–16 will benefit from a parent present to discuss the difference between the film's use of self-harm as a horror device and real-world self-harm, as well as the blended family and grief themes that may resonate personally.

Family Takeaways from Imaginary

What it gets right

✓The film handles blended family dynamics with genuine emotional complexity — Taylor's hostility toward Jessica feels earned and her eventual acceptance, shown in the final scene where she calls Jessica 'Mom,' feels like a real emotional journey rather than a convenient resolution.
✓The film takes childhood trauma seriously, using Jessica's father's cognitive breakdown and its lasting effect on her adult confidence as a meaningful through-line rather than mere backstory.

Imaginary Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

No cultural or religious themes detected for this film.

Community Notes

Some mental health advocacy communities may raise concerns about the depiction of self-harm (Jessica cutting her arm, Alice's nail scene) as a plot device rather than a serious issue, without on-screen acknowledgement of its real-world impact.
The casual, humorous framing of a teen (Taylor) hiding alcohol consumption may concern parents who feel underage drinking should not be treated lightly even in passing dialogue.

Cast:DeWanda WiseTaegen BurnsPyper BraunBetty BuckleyTom Payne