Netflix's Japanese animated fantasy film, 'The Imaginary' offers a poignant exploration of childhood imaginations
Contains spoilers for 'The Imaginary'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Netflix's latest animated fantasy movie, 'The Imaginary' immerses viewers into a visually captivating and powerful adventure centered around imaginary friends.
Based on the novel by AF Harrold, the film follows Amanda (Evie Kiszel), a young girl with a vivid imagination, and her imaginary companion, Rudger (Louie Rudge-Buchanan).
Together, they embark on imaginative voyages through a world brimming with excitement and amusement.
However, their perfect and peaceful life is disrupted by the appearance of Mr Bunting (Jeremy Swift), an enigmatic individual who hunts imaginary companions.
In an attempt to protect Rudger from Mr Bunting, Amanda has an accident, which results in Rudger joining the imaginary town in the library.
However, after the death of another fictional companion, Emily (Sky Katz), Rudger decides to meet Amanda but faces the threat of Mr Bunting.
Did Amanda recognize Rudger in 'The Imaginary'?
Rudger, dressed as Amanda's friend Julia's fantasy arrives in the hospital and feels sad to see Amanda lying unconscious.
Upon discovering that Amanda is still alive, he is overwhelmed with relief and tries to wake her from her unconscious state.
Amid this, Mr Bunting appears with his eerie imaginary lackey and tries to scare Rudger.
Rudger struggles to free himself from the grasp of Mr Bunting's lackey, but he is unable to do so.
In a surprising turn of events, Amanda wakes up and struggles to recognize Mr Bunting, revealing that she is also unable to see her imaginary friend.
However, she quickly regains her ability to see Rudger, and using her imagination, she transforms the hospital room into an aquatic environment.
Together, Amanda and Rudger escape, with Mr Bunting pursuing them both. However, both are soon caught.
What happens with Liz in 'The Imaginary'?
Liz, Amanda's mother, enters the room and finds her daughter struggling and quickly recognizes Mr. Bunting as the guy who had suspiciously visited their house before.
Amanda informs her mother that Mr. Bunting is trying to harm Rudger, but since Liz cannot see the imaginary friend, she finds it difficult to believe.
Amid this, Rudger urges Amanda to tell Liz about her imaginary friend, Fridge, and Amanda shouts his name.
Upon hearing Fridge's name, Liz suddenly sees the enormous snake around Amanda, triggering a flashback to when a smaller version of the snake had frightened her. In that memory, Fridge had come to her rescue, and they had enjoyed their time together.
Suddenly, Liz is captured by Mr Bunting. Amanda urges her mother to help Rudger. In a surprising twist, Fridge convinces Mr Bunting to eat his spooky lackey. Later, Mr Bunting vanished after eating his imaginary friend.
Liz embraces both Fridge and Rudger. In the final moment, Amanda thanks Rudger for his help, and Rudger asks her to live a happy life. The movie concludes with them embarking on a final fantasy adventure together.
How to stream 'The Imaginary'?
To access the show on Netflix, it is necessary to own a premium membership, as the streaming site provides a range of subscription options according to your budget.
The Standard Plan with advertising on Netflix requires a monthly membership fee of $6.99 and provides full HD (1080p) streaming.
The Standard Plan, devoid of advertisements, has a monthly price of $15.49. It permits the use of one account on two screens simultaneously, with the ability to watch content in 1080p/full HD resolution.
The Premium Plan, priced at $22.99 a month, allows customers to stream content in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos and HDR on up to four screens simultaneously.