WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for IF.

John Krasinski’s most recent film IF is rated PG but may not be suitable for kids of all ages. The imaginative kids’ movie, which is an abbreviation for Imaginary Friends, was somewhat surprisingly directed by Krasinski. He is best known as Jim Halpert from The Office but also as the celebrated writer and director of the 2018 horror hit A Quiet Place, which earned an outstanding 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Krasinski was inspired to make IF for his two daughters, Hazel, 10, and Violet, 7. While IF divided critics, the film earned an overwhelmingly positive audience score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

IF was also a surprising hit at the box office, grossing a worldwide total of around $185 million and becoming the tenth highest-grossing movie of the year as of July 2024. IF’s cast features a breakout performance from Cailey Fleming as Bea, Ryan Reynolds as Cal, and an ensemble of voice acting performances by Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emily Blunt, Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, Bill Hader, George Clooney, and more. The story follows Bea as she encounters a hidden world of imaginary friends who have all been left behind by their old buddies who have all grown up.

IF Is Rated PG For Thematic Elements & Mild Language

IF subtly implies the death of Bea’s mother from cancer

IF is rated PG for thematic elements and mild language. The “thematic elements” certainly have to do with the complicated health condition of Bea’s father, played by John Krasinski, in addition to Bea having lost her mother during events before the start of the film due to cancer. The themes of losing one parent, and the immediate risk of losing another with Krasinski’s father character facing a complicated heart surgery to fix a “broken heart”, are the most sensitive and heavy plot elements in the film. Most of these themes are introduced within the first 10 minutes of IF, which makes them easily avoidable.

The use of profanity is considered generally mild and insignificant, which is to be expected from a PG-rated kids’ movie. There are two uses of the word “Hell” and “Damn”, which act as the most prominent use of foul language in the 1-hour 44-minute movie. There are also a fair number of casual uses of “God” and “Oh my God” throughout the film but they are never used in an overtly derogatory fashion by any of the characters. Additionally, there is absolutely no sex, nudity, violence, gore, alcohol, drugs, or smoking in IF. As for frightening and intense scenes, it starts and ends with the mother’s implied death.

IF’s Themes & Content Might Not Be Suitable For All Kids

The film may introduce the notion of losing a parent

Depending on each parent’s discretion and perspective, IF should be perfectly suitable for most kids. Bea’s mom dying and other elements, like the dad almost dying toward the end before he is revealed to have survived a successful surgery, could be considered by some to be too much for young kids. The film does effectively evoke strong emotions, particularly sadness during the aforementioned heavier scenes, so it is certainly not a feel-good film through and through. It does, however, possess a lot of heart and is carried in the gentle hands of Krasinski’s writing and direction.

Overall, the film is full of lighthearted and heartfelt content that remains entertaining throughout and ends with a magical and unexpected twist. Kristina Behr of Parents.com writes, “The PG rating makes sense given some of the film’s themes, but the animated creatures’ wholesome nature and their adventure makes it really digestible for young children to understand.” In this light, IF is a film that may introduce the concept of losing a parent to a child for the first time. While these themes are subtle and thoughtfully constructed, some kids may skim them over while others may ask, “Where did her mom go?”

IF Is Suitable For Most Children

IF is a heartfelt and inspirational story

For the most part, IF is a whimsical and wonderfully told movie that most children can handle. The film came from Krasinski’s heart as he began to see the effects that the pandemic was having on his two young girls, who he had with actress Emily Blunt. “He realized his daughters were growing up too fast, and because of what was happening around them, they felt forced to give up on their childhood. So he promised them he would “write a movie about how you never have to give up on that magical world.”” (via Parents.com). Krasinski’s own sentiments give a great depiction of the type of hope and imagination that IF inspires.

Source: Parents.com