John Krasinski & Ryan Reynolds’ New Movie IF Has A Family-Friendly Rating

Kids everywhere can feel it: the school year is coming to an end and soon their days will be freer and more fun. Of course, as a parent, this often means you need to find novel ways to entertain those kiddos, and why not try heading to the movies? There’s a pretty healthy roster of family entertainment coming our way in the next few months, and one movie we’re particularly excited about is IF, which follows the adventures of one girl trying to help imaginary friends (also known as IFs). But what age is IF appropriate for? Is the movie kid-friendly? Here’s what you need to know before hitting the concession stand.

What is IF about?

The story follows a young girl named Bea (The Walking Dead’s Cailey Fleming), who has been going through a rough time in her life. Through it all, she gains the ability to see imaginary friends (referred to as “IFs” for short) who have been abandoned by the kids who dreamed them up. Well, the teens and adults who have “outgrown” them. She soon discovers that her adult neighbor Cal (Ryan Reynolds) also has this power. It isn’t long before Bea and Cal join forces and, together, they make a plan to reunite the IFs with their former kids.

What is IF rated?

IF is rated PG due to “thematic elements and mild language.” According to the IMDb parents’ guide, you won’t have to worry at all about sex and nudity or substance abuse. Violence, profanity, and intense or frightening scenes were all ranked as “mild.”

In short, it seems like we’re looking at a pretty wholesome movie here.

IF stars Ryan Reynolds, and was written and directed by John Krasinski.

Developed by both men, who also served as producers, Krasinski took the lead on directing, writing while Reynolds secured the starring role. (Don’t worry: Krasinski is also in the movie as Bea’s dad.)

In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Krasinski shared that he wrote the movie for his children, Hazel and Violet, and even incorporated their actual imaginary friends into the story. After seeing the pandemic take a toll on their spirits, he wanted to make a movie that showed them there’s always hope.

IF features an all-star cast

Given that both Reynolds and Krasinski could both ask their cadre of celebrity friends to join the project, it stands to reason that the film is so full of celebs — both as actual human actors and the voices of the various IFs — we hardly know where to begin. Let’s start with the folks whose faces you’ll get to see.

In addition to Reynolds, Fleming, and Krasinski, we’ll also see Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter, True Detective), Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as Jeremy, Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear), and Alan Kim (Minari).

Among the animated characters, are both Krasinksi and Reynolds’ wives — Emily Blunt and Blake Lively — as well as Krasinski’s Office co-star Steve Carell. But that’s not all! The cast also includes *massive inhale* Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina, George Clooney, Matthew Rhys, Bradley Cooper, Amy Schumer, Keegan-Michael Key, and Vince Vaughn. *second exhausted inhale*

TL;DR

This promises to be a sweet, funny, and decidedly family-friendly that you can enjoy with your kids.

IF premieres in theaters on May 17.