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Money Back Guarantee (2023)

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Review: ‘Money Back Guarantee’ is entertaining in parts and banks too heavily on a star cast

The ensemble film featuring Fawad Khan, Wasim Akram, others, is quite frankly a let down

When slapstick humour meets a case of mistaken identity, puns and quirky word play, a comedy of errors is born. Faisal Qureshi’s Money Back Guarantee creates a broth using the same ingredients and peppers it with social messaging and political satire to savour the taste. The now director’s brand of humour isn’t new to fans of his writing in Teen Bata Teen. But perhaps the world has moved on since…

Qureshi’s directorial debut, Money Back Guarantee (MBG), which premiered in Karachi on Thursday, was the most-awaited film to release this Eidul-Fitr. With a star-studded ensemble cast featuring the likes of Fawad Khan, Hina Dilpazeer, Gohar Rasheed, Javed Sheikh, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Kiran Malik, Adnan Jafar, Ayesha Omar, among others, alongside debut actors Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram, Muniba Mazari and George Fulton – it was touted to be a full-blown entertainer.

Set in a strange land that feels part-Pakistan and part-New Jersey – actually shot in Karachi and Thailand – the film explores the dichotomy of capitalism and socialism as it dabbles in numerous societal problems, such as corruption, VIP culture, stereotyping, theft, political point-scoring, injustice and discrimination. It sets the tone for a certain brand of dramedy that is both satirical and ridiculous. The great thing about Money Back Guarantee is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously as it gathers a motley crew of degenerates to carry its plot forward, while mocking the very values it tries to instill.

These degenerates represent the various ethnicities of Pakistan as they attempt to shun while ironically perpetuating stereotypes the society propagates about them – such as Pushtoons being “dumb”, Christians being “ Karanta, Choora ” (slurs), Punjabis being “hungry,” and more. Symbolism has been used at a stretch in the film, with the setting taking jabs at the core values of the subjects it inhabits.

SPOILERS ALERT!

Majority of the film has been shot in Pak bank – a fictional bank that hosts the wealth of all the corrupt politicians in Pakistan – with our crew of degenerates planning to rob it. Everyone’s blood has turned white – quite literally, the Pakistani flag is represented by a WiFi signal, Pak bank’s design mimics the map of Pakistan with minor alterations to suit the rich, as it ingeniously represents how each province and part of the bank operates – or not. The “most secure” bank of the country has been designed by a lawyer, not an architect. The only way to access the millions of rupees inside its cells? You guessed it; biometric! A painting of The Last Super hanging inside the bank has been beautifully morphed to feature the greedy politicians of the country, feasting on the poor. And the politicians have been played by the same actors playing the robbers-cum-rebels to signify “ Jesi qoum, wese hukumran .”

The plot of the film revolves around the heist that our gang of amateurs set out for with the purpose of reclaiming the people’s money. The plan, however, is not foolproof and keeps on changing as the robbers fail successively. While that is meant to be hilarious, it leaves the film appearing chaotic, almost struggling to find a center. It also leaves much to the imagination, and not necessarily the things that should have been left unattended.

The plot isn’t seamlessly weaved together. There are, in fact, cause and effect issues and one can never decipher how or why somethings are happening.

The characters, albeit, are well fleshed out. Fawad’s role as a cheapskate bank manager, Bux, who caters only to the wealthy and listens only to the powerful is written to perfection. The actor also wears it like a glove as he finally embodies a non-romantic, non-emotional, grey character, widening his acting scope and career graph. His dialogue-delivery and maniacal expressions are beautiful, to say the least.

Kiran, Gohar, Mikaal, Ali Safina, Afzal Khan – part of the robber gang – display exceptional acting chops too. Sticking to his usual sidekick energy, Gohar plays an unemployed goon that struggles to provide for his wife. But somehow, his Sindhi accent doesn’t grow on you as the film progresses. It is also quite painstaking to watch each of the robbers struggle to speak in a particular accent to represent a particular ethnicity. It is because of the demand to do so that the film reinforces another stereotype about the ethnicities represented.

And while that may be a creative choice, given that MBG also takes a dig at the way brands are promoted in Pakistani films to appease sponsors by doing the same thing, the audience’s ability to connect with the characters is compromised.

Wasim and Shaniera’s roles aren’t very demanding. So as debut actors, they shine. Mani tries too hard to play circuit from Munna Bhai , or so it seems, while his accent also continues to annoy.

There are moments in the film that could have been cut short, and moments that the film could have done entirely without. The opening scene, for example, is too long and boring to grip the audience in. The closing scene, or scenes, are too many to call the film well-rounded. It’s as though the editors struggled to prioritise what to keep and what to do away with.

Something films directed by writers often struggle with is that they leave little room to breathe in terms of dialogues. Becoming too verbose at times, with each character falling in love with the sound of their own voice and every character having something to say. At times, there is so much social messaging that the message is lost. And instead of relying on the actors’ comic timing, the characters are made to give ques to laugh.

All in all, Money Back Guarantee can be watched for the variety it offers in terms of cast and characters, the awami comedy, the political jabs and definitely the scope of production. But the film could have been shortened at least half an hour, doing away with extensive social commentary, announcing of intentions and unsought resolutions. I was actually afraid ‘ Umeed ki Kiran’ will grow old -- If you know, you know.

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“Money Back Guarantee” (Movie Review): A Political Satire that Mostly Works

by Yousuf Mehmood April 21, 2023, 2:40 PM 0 Comments

For any satire to succeed, it should be committed to criticism and observations it makes without remorse or sentimentality. In that, “Money Back Guarantee” definitely succeeds. There are plenty of laughs, and not for a second does it lose sight of its goal.

While Faisal Qureshi’s writing and direction are not perfect, “Money Back Guarantee” is a great step forward to bringing back actual comedy films to Pakistani cinema. It’s, therefore, one film you shouldn’t miss.

IT IS NOT a copy of Spanish TV show “Money Heist” AT ALL. It’s a wholly Pakistani film.

“Money Back Guarantee” Brings Back Comedy Films to Pakistani Cinema

The rom-coms which have become a staple of Pakistani cinema often scrape the bottom of the barrel when it comes to comedy. Thankfully, “Money Back Guarantee” is intelligent, if not subtle. The satire is on point, if not biting.

Faisal Qureshi’s writing hits upon the problems of Pakistan that everyone is aware of, from religious to ethnic, to provincial, to economic. In almost every frame, those problems are front and center. And he’s careful not to shift the blame on to any one person.

There are also comments about “interfering guards” and ethnic stereotypes as well as the inflation and exchange rate. None of it will make you ponder or think very hard, but then again, this kind of humour has been absent from Pakistani films for so long that it’s refreshing to see it executed at all.

Also, quite a few gags made me chuckle, and one made me clap with joy. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo by Ali Rehman Khan in the beginning will also split your sides. Also, the film is clean. Crass, cheap jokes and cursing is nowhere to be found. You can take your family without worrying about any awkwardness.

The Performances are All Over the Top

Everyone from Fawad Khan to Gohar Rasheed to Kiran Malik to Ayesha Omar is over the top in “Money Back Guarantee”. The film leaves very little room for subtleties, but even then, the pitch is loud. Where the writing succeeds for the most part, the theatrical performances don’t all work.

Mani and Fawad Khan as well as Gohar Rasheed steal the show. Even Kiran Malik is pretty convincing, and of course Hina Dilpazeer is effortless in her performance. Unfortunately, Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram, and Javed Sheikh contribute VERY LITTLE to the narrative. Wasim Akram is never the menacing presence he’s portrayed to be. He could’ve done with a lot more dialogue and character development.

Faisal Qureshi could’ve toned down the pitch of the film just a tad, and it would’ve worked better. In certain cases, the actors are so loud that their dialogues get lost in the fray. That will only work against a film so fully dependent on its writing.

“Money Back Guarantee” Is Refreshing and New

When I interviewed Shayan Khan, the producer of “Money Back Guarantee”, and he told me that it was a social satire about third world countries, I was sure the film would be stopped or at least cut by the censor board. However, there appear to be no cuts at all.

This kind of filmmaking and experimentation is needed if our industry is to progress. A film like this hasn’t been made in the new wave of Pakistani cinema yet. And I hope that Faisal Qureshi, despite his flaws, continues to make movies and improve his craft. If this is what he can do in his debut, I want to see what he accomplishes when he hones and polishes his skills.

The Negatives: Repetitive Sequences and Restrictive Spaces

While the film hardly takes place in one room, “Money Back Guarantee” does feel restrictive in its sets. Characters often speak in small rooms and the same sets are repeated a little too often. The film could’ve benefitted from a little more outdoor shooting, and perhaps a better executed chase scene in the end.

That’s about it. The film looks great and feels very cinematic. While there’s room for improvement, “Money Back Guarantee” is exactly the kind of film Pakistani cinema needs, and it needs about a dozen of them every year.

“Money Back Guarantee” is a film that would’ve been a hit even without an Eid release. With some decent marketing, it could’ve joined the small list of great commercial successes from the new wave which succeeded outside the Eid holidays.

Money Back Guarantee is playing in theaters across Pakistan this Eid. Don’t miss it.

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Written by Yousuf Mehmood

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Money Back Guarantee

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Faisal Qureshi

Wasim Akram

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Fawad Khan gives his word that 'Money Back Guarantee' is worth a visit to the cinemas this Eid

Pakistani actor talks money, fame and the importance of comedy, by sadiq saleem.

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Published: Wed 19 Apr 2023, 11:15 AM

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Statistically speaking, heist movies, though predictable, have been one of the most successful genres in most film industries. The protagonist, who is often a criminal mastermind, puts together a crew, hatches a plan and then pulls off the heist, either because the system has wronged him — or maybe just for the thrill. Of course not everything goes as per the plan.

The occasional bumps in the road knock everything off as was seen in the 2002 release Aankhen or in the Spanish series La Casa de Papel or in Ocean’s 8. One doesn’t know until the climax if they get away with the loot or they end up in jail. The result is, an ‘edge-of-the-seat thriller’.

This is how Fawad Khan and Kiran Malik describe their upcoming film Money Back Guarantee, which is releasing this Eid. Besides Fawad and Kiran, the ensemble cast includes Ayesha Omar, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Shayan Khan, Hina Dilpazeer and cricket legend Wasim Akram who is debuting with this film.

When the Spanish series La Casa de Papel was released, fans were quick to point out that there is an uncanny resemblance between Fawad Khan and the mastermind behind the staged heist, Alvaro Morte . So, it came as no surprise when Pakistani adman and humourist, Faisal Qureshi, the writer and director of the film Money Back Guarantee announced a film based on a bank robbery, and got Fawad Khan on board.

It is still not clear from the promos if he plays the mastermind behind the heist or if he is the one who is going to save the wealth from the robbers. Excerpts from the interview:

Wasim Akram is making his debut with this film. There is a constant debate with regards to who enjoys more stardom between film stars and sports personalities. What is your take on that?

I personally think that sports personalities are bigger stars. This is statistically supported if you see the followership they enjoy. It also has a lot to do with patriotic element and national interest attached with their work. There are thousands of people cheering for them every time they play live. People travel to other countries to witness them playing. But film stars on the other end enjoy longevity as they continue to act in their forties and fifties.

Has the importance of money for you changed over time?

I don’t value it more than relationships certainly. But, when you have family and kids to take care of, you cannot outrightly deny its importance. As you grow older you do realize that running after money is a trivial pursuit. Unfortunately, money does make the world go round and some people realise this very late in life that there is life beyond money and fame. May be someone who doesn’t have a family to support or dependents would have answered your question differently.

A thing you wish came with a guarantee in life?

The fact that life doesn’t come with any guarantee makes it more interesting. The charm of life lies in its unpredictability. If I knew from before what the future holds for me, everything around would turn boring and then you wouldn’t quest for anything. If the comfort is guaranteed in life, you wouldn’t value it as much. If health is guaranteed for life then nobody would take care of their bodies and will take it for granted.

You have contributed significantly to Pakistani cinema through The Legend of Maula Jatt. Where do you see the industry going in coming years?

I feel that with our limited resources, what we have pulled off, and how much we continue to achieve, it seems that the market for films will definitely expand in the future. But it is not fair to constantly compare our industry with others. Their budgets are unheard of in our industry. You cannot compare a film that has a budget of 15 to 20 crores here with a film with a $500 or 400 million budget.

We have seen you in many intense roles over the years on television and in films. Do you see the arrival of money back guarantee as a much needed comic relief in your career?

I love comedies; both as a viewer and as a performer. I think its relaxing. Also, I have been doing a lot of serious stuff of late so this film does give me a break too from that mood. This film has a good dose of comedy, but it is also a political satire. Let me put it this way, it’s a meme turned into a film. It is worth your time during the festive season, and I am giving you my word.

Money Back Guarantee drops in UAE cinemas on April 21

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Review: ‘Money Back Guarantee’ (2023), starring Marhoom Bilal, Mirza Gohar, Shayan Khan, Kiran Malik, Mani, Jan Rambo and Mikaal Zulfiqar

Arts and Entertainment

action , comedy , Faisal Qureshi , Jan Rambo , Kiran Malik , Marhoom Bilal , Mikaal Zulfiqar , Mirza Gohar , Money Back Guarantee , movies , Pakistan , reviews , Shayan Khan

April 30, 2023

by Carla Hay

“Money Back Guarantee” (2023)

Directed by Nabeel Qureshi

Urdu with subtitles

Culture Representation:  Taking place in an unnamed city in Pakistan, the action comedy film “Money Back Guarantee” features a predominantly Pakistani cast (with some white people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash:  Six financially desperate people conspire to commit a bank robbery, but their plans run into unexpected problems, including a power struggle between two bankers. 

Culture Audience:  “ Money Back Guarantee ” will appeal primarily to people who don’t mind watching an action comedy with a jumbled storyline and bad acting .

“Money Back Guarantee” tries so hard to cram in several plot detours and wacky antics, it all adds up to a tangled heap of sloppy filmmaking. It’s a bizarre bank robbery caper that fumbles the comedy and the action. The story is witless, the performances are irritating, and the film editing is terrible. The movie’s mediocre Donald Trump impersonator quickly becomes a tired gimmick.

Written and directed by Faisal Qureshi, “Money Back Guarantee” (which takes place in an unnamed city in Pakistan) has a not-very-original concept of bungling amateur criminals in their quest to rob a bank. Instead of crafting a suspenseful and/or funny story, the movie gets caught up in trying to make things look weird and incoherent. Many viewers will feel completely disconnected from the story because the characters in the movie don’t act like how real human beings would act.

Six friends/acquaintances, who are having money problems and feel like they have been mistreated by society, decide to join forces and rob a powerful financial institution called Pak Bank. These would-be criminals are Munda Punjabi (played by Marhoom Bilal), Nawaz Sindhi (played by Mirza Gohar), Ilyas Kashmir (played by Shayan Khan), Sanam Baloch (played by Kiran Malik), Christian Bail (played by Jan Rambo) and Irfan Pathan (played by Mikaal Zulfiqar). They come up with various schemes to rob the bank—none of which would work in the real world.

For example, the six robbers decide to “disguise” themselves as “exterminators” and try to walk right into a bank vault together. But they don’t look like exterminators. They’re dressed entirely in black combat gear and are openly carrying guns. They look more like a tactical S.W.A.T. team. But these idiots think that because they have gas masks, they can fool people into thinking that they’re exterminators. This is what’s supposed to pass as “comedy” in this mindless movie.

Meanwhile, this robbery is being planned in the midst of a ruthless power struggle between Pak Bank president Akram (played by Wasim Akram) and a bank manager named Bux (played by Fawad Khan), who are in a campaign election against each other. Other characters in the movie include Akram’s arrogant right-hand man G.A. Muhajir (played by Mani), a somewhat ditzy reporter named Bella (played by Shaniera Akram) and Trump (played by Syed Shafaat Ali), a character who is a demanding, greedy and incompetent egomaniac in his business dealings with Pak Bank.

The movie has a lot of shouting and running around that don’t amount to anything but just dragging out the story and going off on distracting tangents. “Money Back Guarantee” also has too many stupid and over-used gags, such as characters getting lost or mistaken identities. The Trump character wears an ill-fitting blond wig and spouts a lot of corny and not-very-funny lines of dialogue.

“Money Back Guarantee” was originally supposed to be released in 2020, when Trump was president of the United States. Released in 2023, “Money Back Guarantee” just looks outdated with the Trump jokes, which don’t have as much impact in the movie, since Trump is no longer the U.S. president. The bank robbery antics and the bank executive feuding just get increasingly vapid and annoying. The entire movie is a poorly conceived mess and will test the patience of anyone who has tolerance for intentionally silly action comedies. “Money Back Guarantee” is an apt description of what viewers should get if they have the misfortune of wasting money to watch this failed attempt to be an entertaining heist movie.

Zashko Films released “Money Back Guarantee” in select U.S. cinemas and in Pakistan on April 21, 2023.

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Money Back Guarantee Movie Review & Storyline

Money Back Guarantee Movie was released on Eid-ul-Fitr 2023. Movie Audience have shared review about the movie Money Back Guarantee. This movie is written by Faisal Qureshi and also directed by him. Many famous super hit actors are part of its cast. Read Money Back Guranatee Movie review, storyline, and public reaction.

Movie Storyline

A group of robbers decides to rob a bank and lout the money of corrupt politicians from the Bank. They plan to pay their debts after this last robbery. On the other hand, Bank Manager stands firmly to save the bank from robbery and all money. It is an interesting movie and an amazing combination of comedy with action and crime scenes.

Money Back Guarantee Movie Review

Fawad Khan is the part of movie Money Back Guarantee cast. Many fans of Fawad watched this movie on Eid. Other fans of Pakistani comedy films also rushed to Cinema to watch the movie on Eid. The overall review of the public about the movie Many Back Guarantee is kind of mixed.

Some people liked the movie and enjoyed the comedy action film with a lot of cast members. People considered it a good movie to watch on vacations with family.

But on the other hand, some did not like the movie due to improper synchronization of the story. The acting of a few members seemed to be copied from the other famous characters in Movies. Some claimed that this movie could have better action sequels and curiosity in the story. As many top actors could have been seen in better roles.

Read More: Money Back Guarantee Movie Full Cast Name

The plot of the movie revolves around a group of robbers who rob a bank. This movie is shoot in Pakistan and Thailand. The start of the movie was good but the story could not maintain the twists which could make it more interesting.

Overall Money Back Guarantee is a good movie and got a fifty-fifty reaction from the public. But Fawd Khan ’s fans were not very happy with his role and overall movie script.

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• What is the release date of 'Money Back Guarantee'? Release date of Sunil Pal and Manoj Joshi starrer 'Money Back Guarantee' is 2016-07-01.
• Who are the actors in 'Money Back Guarantee'? 'Money Back Guarantee' star cast includes Sunil Pal, Manoj Joshi and Ehsaan Qureshi.
• Who is the director of 'Money Back Guarantee'? 'Money Back Guarantee' is directed by Sunil Pal.
• What is Genre of 'Money Back Guarantee'? 'Money Back Guarantee' belongs to 'Comedy' genre.
• In Which Languages is 'Money Back Guarantee' releasing? 'Money Back Guarantee' is releasing in Hindi.

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New Horror Movie With 21% RT Score Nearly Triples Budget At The Box Office In Just 10 Days

• Tarot has grossed a cumulative $20 million worldwide in its second weekend.
• This has more than tripled the horror movie's $8 million budget.
• Despite a 21% Rotten Tomatoes score, Tarot is likely already turning a profit.

Tarot has accomplished a huge box office feat despite a cavalcade of negative reviews. The new horror movie, which stars Harriet Slater, Avantika, and Jacob Batalon , is based on the 1992 Nicholas Adams novel Horrorscope and follows a group of college students who play with a cursed deck of tarot cards that dooms them to die in twisted ways based on the cards that were pulled in their readings. The movie has earned a thoroughly Rotten 21% score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing, a number that is based on 43 different critics' reviews.

Per Variety , the Tarot release is projected to earn an additional $3.4 million at the domestic box office by the end of its second weekend in theaters. Combined with its second-weekend international grosses, this will bring its cumulative global box office total to $20 million . Considering the fact that the movie only cost $8 million to make, this nearly triples the horror title's production budget in just 10 days.

Why Are Tarots Reviews So Bad?

Critics call out tarot for its lazy storytelling.

Despite the box office milestone, Tarot ’s poor reviews tell a starkly different story. With a 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, Tarot can easily be considered a critical flop . Though audiences are seeing the movie, their perception has not been fantastic either, giving the film only a 57% approval rating.

Critics are knocking Tarot for its weak characters, who lack personality and connection in the horror film. As Matthew Jackson of The AV Club wrote, Tarot “ ends up feeling flimsy, empty, and again, very, very frustrating .” Others called the storytelling weak and found it to be a lazy genre film that lacked depth and cultural value. While there were a couple critics who liked Tarot , those were few and far between against the highly-critical overall reception.

Is Tarot A Box Office Hit?

The horror movie may have hit its break-even point.

At the time of writing, Tarot is the sixth highest-grossing English-language horror movie of the year worldwide.

Because theaters keep half of ticket sales, a movie's break-even point is usually at least twice its production budget. Despite those negative Tarot reviews , the movie has already surpassed $16 million at the box office, which was most likely its break-even point. In fact, at the time of writing, it is the sixth highest-grossing English-language horror movie of the year worldwide. Below, see how the movie's budget and box office compares to the current Top 5 English-language horror titles of 2024 so far:

One issue with the break-even point rule of thumb is the fact that it doesn't include marketing costs for the movies in question. This means that some of the titles with a positive balance may not have yet made their money back, depending on how much was spent promoting them. However, Tarot came with quite low marketing costs , as there wasn't a huge promotional push for the title, with horror-hungry audiences seeming to have found the movie relatively organically.

While it seems unlikely that the movie has yet earned a significant profit, it may already be in the black. If it can push this gross even higher in the coming weeks, it's possible that it will be considered a proper box office hit and that a sequel will be greenlit before long. The Tarot ending is not necessarily open-ended, but it does leave room for more stories to be told at different points in the timeline of the movie's universe, whether or not the stars who played the surviving characters return to the project.

Will Tarot Help 2024 Horror Turn Around?

2024 horror has had a rough start.

As evidenced in the top five horror films of 2024 so far, the year has been off to a rocky start with horror. As per the estimated budgets, two out of the top five highest grossing horror movies of 2024 have actually lost money rather than gained money. Abigail , for instance, which has an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, has vastly underperformed expectations thus far. It was originally predicted to open to $12–$15 million and top the box office during its opening weekend. Instead, it brought home $10.2 million and lost out to A24’s Civil War .

Tarot may just be a note of hope in a depressing start for the year in horror. If Tarot continues on its current box office path, it will easily clear the marker needed to profit. Tarot is also only $3.2 million behind the box office gross for Immaculate , so it also has a shot at making it into the top 5 grossing horror films of the year so far. Hopefully, Tarot ’s success can be the start of a turn around for the lukewarm 2024 horror box office thus far.

Source: Variety

Tarot (2024)

Director Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg

Release Date May 3, 2024

Studio(s) Ground Control, Alloy Entertainment, Screen Gems

Distributor(s) Sony Pictures Releasing

Writers Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg

Cast Avantika Vandanapu, Wolfgang Novogratz, Larsen Thompson, Humberly Gonzlez, Harriet Slater, Jacob Batalon, Adain Bradley, Olwen Four

Rating PG-13

Runtime 92 minutes

Genres Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Main Genre Horror

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‘IF’ Is Rated PG, but Is the New Movie About Imaginary Friends OK for Young Kids?

Heads up, bring tissues—Why 'IF', starring Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski made this mom a blubbering mess.

“Sometimes life isn’t fun,” but the new movie IF , in theaters this Friday, certainly is. 

I will happily watch anything that stars Ryan Reynolds or has John Krasinski’s name attached to it. So when I saw that IF not only stars Reynolds, but is also written, directed, and produced by Krasinski (who also plays two roles in the film), I immediately knew it was going to be a masterpiece. And it didn’t let me down. Not just because it is great entertainment for kids, but a really fun trip down memory lane for us adults too. 

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I did not expect this movie to make me a blubbering mess and all in my feels within the first 30 seconds of the film. There is only one other movie that hit me that hard and fast, and that was Disney’s UP (IYKYK). I was admittedly unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster of laugh-out-loud moments mixed with a sweet sense of poignant nostalgia but I was really happy to be along for the ride of this family movie . 

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.

The Themes Of IF

IF is a beautiful movie that takes adult viewers on a journey back to their childhood, exploring love and loss through the eyes of a child, and how creating a world of make-believe becomes a way of resilience against the struggles of the real world. It reminds us parents that our magical childhood may not be so far behind us.

For kids who watch the film, it encourages them to cherish their childhood as long as possible. The film not only celebrates imagination but also the strong bonds of family and friendship.

The plot centers around 12-year-old Bea, played brilliantly by actress Cailey Fleming. She's navigating a challenging time in her life with her father, played by Krasinski. She discovers she can see everyone’s long-forgotten imaginary friends . With the help of her eccentric neighbor Cal, played by Reynolds, they embark on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs, or imaginary friends, with their now-grown creators.

Fleming is now 17 years old but was just 13 when she began working on IF. She has been an actress since she was 8, portraying a “Young Rey” in Star Wars: The Force Awakens , and as Judith Grimes in AMC’s The Walking Dead .

“I’ve never been so involved in something as I have this movie,” she tells Parents . “I have tried to hold onto every moment that I could, and learn from everything that I could from watching John and Ryan.”

As Bea navigates the challenges of growing up in this coming-of-age film, Fleming finds herself on a parallel journey in real life. “I felt that as Bea was growing, I was growing,” she explains. “I just felt very connected to her.”

Krasinski’s inspiration for the film came from his two young daughters, whom he shares with actress Emily Blunt. He tells Parents he always wanted to write a film about imaginary friends for his daughters, but it wasn’t until he saw how the pandemic affected his girls that he decided to sit down and finish writing the film. 

“I used to stand in the doorway and watch these girls disappear into this magical world that you know we’re not allowed in, and I remember thinking not only how joyful they were but how authentic they were,” he explains. “They were themselves. They got to do voices and wear whatever they wanted.”

“And then the pandemic hit,” he goes on. “Slowly their light started to go out and they were doing fewer and fewer imaginary games and started asking big questions like ‘Are we going to be ok?’”

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.”

He wrote it at the same time he was producing the YouTube show Some Good News , to “put good energy out in the world,” but also to “talk about big and hard things as long as you do it with love and hope.”

“I’ve never been more scared to show anything to anyone in my entire career,” Krasinski admits of the trepidation he felt before showing the final cut of the movie to his daughters. 

“I got two little thumbs up and to this day I’m still processing it,” he beamed. “Finally, I’m in the cool category. They had no idea what I did for a living and Emily was off to the races with Mary Poppins and Jungle Cruise , and now I’m there!”

The Stellar Cast of IF

Not only was the film a love letter for Krasinski’s daughters, but two of the animated characters were created directly from their imaginary play time.

“Ally,” (a pink alligator voiced by Maya Rudolph), was an imaginary friend that lived under their bed, and “Marshmallow” was another real IF created by his daughters, whom Krasinski ended up voicing in the film. Keeping it all in the family, there’s a unicorn IF voiced by Emily Blunt.

Kids will no doubt be drawn to the live-action animated IF’s, particularly “Blue,” voiced by Steve Carell, and each fantastical creature Krasinski created with their own unique backstory and charm.  That includes “Keith,” an invisible prankster IF who becomes a thorn in Cal’s side. 

A who’s who of Hollywood stars was enlisted to voice the myriad of imaginary characters including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Amy Schumer, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Awkwafina, Blake Lively, Maya Rudolph, and Jon Stewart. The late Louis Gossett Jr. voices a wise bear named “Lewis,” and Krasinski admits he was starstruck to have one of his favorite actors he watched during his childhood, starring in a film he created. 

While imagination was very much part of the storyline, it was also very much part of the movie-making process. Krasinski helped the actors move past the logistical challenges of interacting with characters that were physically not in the scene by shooting some scenes using puppets and stuffed animals.

“Imagination is part of our job. We do it every day. Especially in this movie, we had to imagine a lot because they weren’t there,” Fleming says.

I don’t remember if I had an IF but, I’m sure I must have when I was younger. Before watching the movie, I feared that because of this, I’d feel a bit left out. But the film helps those of us who can’t quite remember still feel like we’re part of the process by tapping into the triggers that bring us back to those special childhood days. 

For Krasinski, “it’s the smells, it’s the sounds, it’s the music cues, or it could be a line from a movie that someone says,” that triggers joyful memories of his childhood. 

In particular, Tina Turner’s 1984 hit song “Better Be Good To Me,” which he uses in a grand musical number featuring all of the IFs in the film. He says he included it as a way to pay tribute to his mom who was a “huge Tina Turner fan” which made him one too.  

“I was an 8-year-old who knew all the words to all the Tina Turner songs," Krasinski says. "Like imagination, your memories are stirred up by things that may not be deliberate. The smell of your mom’s cooking or the music she was listening to make you who you are.”  

For me, it’s seeing the waves crash in the ocean and Bob Marley's songs. Hearing reggae brings me back to vacations with my parents in Jamaica, which were probably some of the best moments of my childhood. The film emphasizes that through the right triggers, the magic of childhood is never really lost, even when we become adults. 

When you head to the theater, be prepared (with tissues) for an emotional experience that might make you consider the imaginary characters we created as children may somehow still be providing comfort, joy, and guidance in our later years. The “What If?” where anything is possible. Because as Blue says, “All kids need their IFs, especially when they grow up.” 

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Director Sam Taylor-Johnson ’s “Back to Black” invokes a single question, one fans of Amy Winehouse are sure to recognize: What kind of f*ckery is this? The Camden-bred superstar, played by Marisa Abela , was famously “just one of the girls.” Down to earth, charming, witty, and, when she opened her mouth, a dazzling performer with an unbelievably soulful voice. Infamously, those who remember Amy will also recall a brutal struggle with addiction and leeching media frenzies that followed her to her death at age 27 from alcohol poisoning in the summer of 2011. 

“Back to Black” chronicles the years between the success of 2003's breakthrough  Frank and the blowup of the film's titular album in 2006. But if you expect to learn about Amy the person or even Amy the musician, temper your expectations. Taylor-Johnson’s film, penned by Matt Greenhalgh , is concerned with Amy the addict , making “Back to Black” a dreadful, dastardly attempt at a biopic.

If there’s one assumption to be made about any musician’s biographical drama film, it’s that it will be music-centric. While “Back to Black” has plenty of performances highlighting some of Amy’s most famous songs, they are almost exclusively used for simple soundtrack and pity fodder rather than essential structure. They almost feel like flippant reminders to portray Amy as a performer rather than solely the emotional wreck they characterize her as. The film allots next to none of its runtime to the actual making of either album. We are given fractional context to her artistry, only minor bullet points, like a single guitar-in-the-bed songwriting sesh and a cheeky Mark Ronson namedrop.

"Back to Black" misunderstands Amy’s legacy. The film doesn’t permit unfamiliar audiences to be privy to her iconicity. It doesn’t showcase the ravenous support from her hometown and country, the way they rallied behind her, or the transition of her fame to the States. It neglects to acknowledge any of the reasons why Amy and her music were so beloved. Very little of her actual career is touched on in the film. Instead, it plays more like a montage of toxic romance, drug use, and impromptu tattoos. 

Many of the onstage moments serve to show issues with sobriety or the mournful longing she feels for her on-and-off boyfriend and eventual husband, Blake (Jack O’Connell). The singular clip we’re given of the making of Back to Black is a moment of her tearfully recording the titular track, declaring, “he’s killed me,” and hard cutting to a leap in time where Amy is in the deepest throes of substance abuse. Not even her addiction, the film’s misguided though central focus is given thoughtful narrative—it’s just something that happens off-screen. It’s treated with cut-to-the-chase rapidity because, as the film sees it, we know it happens anyway. 

Abela gives a valiant effort in her performance, loosely capturing Amy’s onstage mannerisms and idiosyncratic dancing. But gesture is not essence, and there’s always a distracting artifice to her depiction. Amy Winehouse's charisma and charm were almost as famous as her voice, and Abela’s hollow copy and exaggerated accent put her out of her depth in attempting to replicate them. 

If the film’s navel-gazing take on defining Amy by drug use wasn’t criminal enough, the script treats these struggles and her eventual death as matters of fate: an end bound to her from the beginning. Every reach for a beer or glass of wine is dramatized like a smug nod to what we know is coming. From the top of the film, Amy is portrayed as a philandering, snarky silver tongue, a criminal to the love lives of others and a fated victim to her own heart. Blake is treated like a casualty to the irrepressible storm of her out-of-control nature, and her father, a powerless, wishful supporter, even though simple biography dictates otherwise. Neither of these men is fully to blame, but omitting their enabling and exacerbation of Amy’s vulnerabilities is irresponsible to the dignity of history. Amy is portrayed as a naive and directionless mess, and all the while, the music is never the cornerstone of the story. It begs the question: Why was this film made? 

When we reflect on pop culture’s past with 2024 eyes, looking back on how the media and public treated Amy, we recall the exploitation with disgust. We compare it to Britney and vow to do better next time. The hopeful implication here would be that we could honor Winehouse’s story better in death than in her life, yet this expectation sets the viewer up for failure. While Taylor-Johnson directs scenes that seem to shake their head at the oppressive paps that tail Amy’s every move, her film fails to do anything different. There’s a gross level of romanticization and infantilization that hemorrhages any hint of life force from this story. The same sensationalist treatment she attempts to scoff at is integral to the story she’s chosen to tell. Taylor-Johnson’s predatory, voyeuristic eye never fails to capitalize on the strife of Amy’s addiction without providing empathy or care. It renders the music purely as a consequence of a proposed penchant for pain and poor choices, depicting its hero as pathetic. 

“Back to Black” makes a martyr of its subject, flattening Amy Winehouse's life and music to a series of binges and failure to overcome heartbreak. It viciously strips her of any agency or humanity, positing her to be nothing more than a tragedy with an iconic album. While there’s no way to separate Amy’s biography from her addiction, to conflate it with her entire existence, sidelining personhood and omitting the pillars of her legacy is an offensive approach to storytelling. 

For fans who love her, this film is a heart-wrenching watch for all the wrong reasons, and for any of the true loved ones she’s left behind, the impact feels as if it can only be devastating. “Back to Black” spotlights the same dialogue in its introduction as in its final act, Amy laments, “I want to be remembered as a singer. I want to be remembered for my voice." Yet, the film hardly remembers her for more than her darkest moments, a posthumous “too bad” that will leave many leaving the theater disturbed.

Peyton Robinson

Peyton Robinson is a freelance film writer based in Chicago, IL. 

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Back to Black (2024)

122 minutes

Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse

Jack O'Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil

Eddie Marsan as Mitch Winehouse

Lesley Manville as Cynthia Winehouse

Juliet Cowan as Janis Winehouse-Collins

Bronson Webb as Joey

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Movie Review: Amy Winehouse story flattened in frustrating biopic ‘Back to Black’

This image released by Focus Features shows Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in a scene from “Back to Black.” (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse, left, and Eddie Marsan as Mitch Winehouse, in a scene from “Back to Black.” (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Jack O’Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil, left, and Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse, in a scene from “Back to Black.” (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse, left, and Jack O’Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil, in a scene from “Back to Black.” (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse , reflected at left, and Lesley Manville as Cynthia Winehouse, in a scene from “Back to Black.” (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Jack O’Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil in a scene from “Back to Black.” (Focus Features via AP)

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“ Back to Black ” as a movie is a tame and mediocre affair. A conventionally told biopic about a talented artist who became famous, struggled with drugs, depression and bulimia, and died early. There are nice performances from gifted actors like Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville, and a soundtrack of hits that helps fill the space.

But as a portrait of Amy Winehouse ? It is simply dreadful.

The main problem with any movie about Winehouse is that a defining film already exists — Asif Kapadia’s Oscar-winning documentary “Amy,” released four years after her death from alcohol poisoning at age 27. Told through archival material, home videos and observations from those around her, it felt as intimate and unfiltered as a diary.

“Amy” was a sobering portrait of addiction, fame and complicity that also let you get to know and love the person behind the songs, the eyeliner, the beehive, the bloodied ballet slippers and the invasive paparazzi photos. It was no one’s idea of sensationalistic and she’s doing most of the talking.

“Amy” was also a movie that didn’t sit well with her grieving family. Her father, Mitch Winehouse, said it was misleading and contained “basic untruths.” After it won the Oscar, he doubled down saying that it had no bearing on her life and was manipulative. Kapadia, he said, was more exploitative of his daughter than anyone.

Following her death, Mitch started a foundation in her name to help young people and wrote a book about her and being the father of an addict. Her mother Janis narrated a documentary, “Reclaiming Amy,” released in 2011. And after years of declining to participate in a narrative biopic, the estate decided to allow one with full use the songs. Like many musical biopics made alongside an estate, it’s hard not to look at “Back to Black” skeptically, wondering whose interests the film is serving.

Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed, has said that she wanted to take the idea of “blame” out of the equation, that the family had zero input on her cut and would not benefit financially. And yet it also seems like a direct response to Kapadia’s film, depicting more than a few key moments wildly differently. They’re not just shown in a different light — some are telling a completely different story.

The screenplay by Matthew Greenhalgh is empathetic to the ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil (O’Connell) and her father Mitch (Marsan), both of whom have been villainized over the years. In the film, most are just caught up in a whirl of inevitability and the retrospective blur of grief.

There seems to be an excessive amount of rationalizing in the way everyone involved talks about “Back to Black,” over justifying its existence and its choices. But just because everyone keeps telling us that it’s a celebration doesn’t mean that we have to get on board. I’m not sure what is celebratory about dramatizing this tragedy, or helpful, or artful, or particularly revelatory about it either. The media, for example, is reduced mainly to the paparazzi camped outside her place as though that’s where the problem stopped.

Taylor-Johnson has said she didn’t want to glamorize depression, addiction or bulimia either, but the latter, which she struggled with before she was famous, is barely even acknowledged. Depiction of eating disorders is inherently fraught, but there had to have been a way to address such a large part of her life and self-image more directly.

Though linear, the story is also oddly confusing, assuming that the audience knows many details of her life (like, say, the bulimia) and the people in it. The film rushes through major career moments in montage, seeming to slow down only for a few things: A performance, Amy’s face in various forms of drunken distress and agony or scenes with her and Blake. Was it attempting a freewheeling jazz form, or is it just messy?

Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in a scene from “Back to Black.” (Focus Features via AP)

In some ways, this portrait of Amy Winehouse makes her immense talent the sideshow and her obsession/romance/heartache over Blake the defining story of her adult life. This is at least somewhat redeemed by the chemistry between Abela and O’Connell, who look far too glowing and healthy to be believable as heroin addicts.

But the greatest failing is how shockingly cliche the ending is. For all of “Back to Black’s” tiptoeing around delicate subjects, its romantically photographed sendoff to Amy is perhaps the most dangerously glamorized shot in the film. It doesn’t even fade to black after a title card announces her death. Before anyone can feel anything, they’ve cut to Amy telling the audience that all she wants is for her songs to make people forget about their troubles for a bit.

By this point, it reads more like a closing statement for a film that never wanted to challenge, offend or move anyone. Mission accomplished.

“Back to Black,” a Focus Features release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “drug use, language throughout, sexual content and nudity.” Running time: 122 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

Back To Black Review: As Feared, The Amy Winehouse Biopic Is A Losing Game

It sure doesn’t cut as deep as any amy winehouse song..

For better and for worse, Hollywood is on a music biopic streak, and the latest big artist to get their own movie based on their life is the late Amy Winehouse – who’s tragic death from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27 has, in recent years, somewhat overshadowed her incredible body of work. Unfortunately for Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Back To Black , the movie only drowns the artist deeper into being known as the singer who belted “They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said ‘No, no, no.’” In other words, it’s the film based on her life that fans feared. 

Release Date: May 17, 2024 Directed By: Sam Taylor-Johnson Written By: Matt Greenhalgh Starring: Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville Rating: R for drug use, language throughout, sexual content and nudity Runtime: 122 minutes

Back To Black , a title recalling Winehouse’s greatest and final album, has Taylor-Johnson collaborating with screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh fifteen years after their collaboration on Nowhere Boy , a coming-of-age story about The Beatles' John Lennon. While one might think pair would hone in on the making of the eponymous record, it’s instead another sprawling portrait of a life sporting a narrative that plays more like a book report than the kind of loving and distinct painting a person as talented and soulful as Winehouse (portrayed by Marisa Abela) deserves.

There’s plenty of emotion in the portrayal of Amy Winehouse’s longtime struggle with addiction and bulimia in addition to her untimely death. Insight is provided on her family, her love affair with Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O'Connell),  and the unfairness to which tabloids invaded her personal space at the height of her fame. But Back To Black also takes a too frustratingly melodramatic approach to the singer’s life, leaving the cutting lyrics of her discography surprisingly hollow too. 

It’s incredible watching Marisa Abela transform into Amy Winehouse, but Back To Black doesn’t give the legendary subject enough dimension. 

Back To Black 's greatest selling point is watching Marisa Abela become the icon we recognize as Amy Winehouse. The actress may not convince the viewer right away in her transformation as the film's subject, with the story starting at a random place in her career years before Winehouse's image was established. As the film progresses, particularly into the third act, however, that’s when Abela convincingly fits into Winehouse’s beehive and cat-eyeliner. The actor brings a bright-eyed spunk and edge to the role that caries the audience through the two-hour runtime. 

Despite all the right costuming and jewelry, however, the portrayal of the “Tears Dry On Their Own” singer can also sometimes feel manufactured and rather polished. In some instances, Back To Black annoyingly looks like a shiny Hollywood musical of Winehouse's life rather than the grounded biopic it wants to be and probably should have been. It also fails to really capture Amy Winehouse’s rough-edged charm, even through the bad habit of telling instead of showing. The script and direction hold Abela back from having a truly star-making moment with Back To Black . 

Winehouse's journey begins as the young singer gets a call from a manager who wants to represent her and gets her signed with Island Records. The Camden-based singer starts to make a name for herself in the UK, but she gets rebellious when she is asked to change her act to appeal to American audiences. Taking a break from her career, she meets Blake Fielder-Civil, whom she eventually both marries and divorces. As messy as their romance can get, Back To Black doesn’t paint one or the other as a villain, but more as two broken people wrought by uncertain traumas. 

Amy Winehouse’s addiction is what remains center stage in Back To Black , and while there is an importance to not glamorize her life, there’s a missing warmth to the singer that leaves the audience high and dry. There’s never really a defining moment that brings the sort of intimacy and depth that this biopic needs to help one think of Winehouse as a person rather than a fallen star on the cover of some of the greatest albums of the 2000s. Far too much of the film feels like it's judging her from the outside rather than taking us inside her mind. There are countless shots of Amy having one drink after the other, having a smoke or loving and lusting after her muse without the audience being given really any chance to gain much sympathy or context surrounding how and why these habits were formed. 

Back To Black revives Amy Winehouse’s stage presence, but moments are few and far between.  

Despite much of Amy’s dialogue revolving around the importance of the music to her rather than fame or fortune, there’s a major lack of attention to the music and lyrics. Where did Amy find her love of song and lyricism? What is “Valerie” about, and how was the record Back To Black produced? What was she like on tour and backstage? These are questions fans might have about Amy Winehouse, but this biopic doesn’t really answer any of them. 

Yes, there are bright spots, as Back To Black recreates Winehouse going from bars to music arenas that give audiences a sense of who she was on stage from a closer point of view, but they make up so little of the film. It leaves one wanting to learn and see more of the music portion of Winehouse’s life. At least, Back To Black does a great job of injecting Winehouse’s numerous influences throughout the narrative to make up its soundtrack, often creating some rather cinematic moments with its music needle drops. 

Despite a flimsy script, Amy Winehouse’s tragic life story remains worth looking back on. 

It’s important to look at stories like Amy Winehouse. How has the public treated famous and talented people, and what can we learn from her story for future musicians like her that come around? Despite the movie failing Winehouse in many ways, it does leave the audience with a greater understanding of who she was outside of her hit songs – but most of all, it acts as a rather tragic drama about a woman’s addictions getting in the way of her livelihood (her two greatest addictions being alcohol and love). Back To Black communicates that despite Winehouse’s fame and glory, she deeply wanted to be loved by the wrong person for her. 

Back To Black is not a good tribute to Amy Winehouse, but if you’re looking to learn more about the artist on a basic level, you will at least come out on the other side with more knowledge regarding the order of events of her life. But after over a decade since Winehouse's death and with and so many adoring family, friends and fans still holding a place in their heart for her music, one would have wished for more for the sensation. Perhaps no one can tell Amy Winehouse’s story better than herself through her timeless music.  

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.

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