Hidden Gem: Ryan Reynolds’ Family Comedy Surges to the Top of Streaming Charts

Let’s talk about ‘IF’, the family comedy where Ryan Reynolds tries to wrangle a bunch of imaginary friends, and—maybe more surprisingly—movie audiences. This was one of those releases that didn’t exactly blow critics’ minds when it hit theaters back in May 2024, but now it’s actually holding its own on Paramount+ and climbing the streaming charts. It’s another example of a movie getting a real second wind once it landed online. Go figure.

‘IF’ Breaks into Streaming’s Top 10

As of January 16, 2026 (which, yes, sounds like a date from the future but is actually now), ‘IF’ found itself sitting pretty at #7 on Paramount+, at least according to FlixPatrol’s arcane scoring system where it bagged 70 popularity points. It’s hovering around the same spot—#6 or #7—in several other countries too. So, not exactly world domination, but definitely holding its ground.

For some context, here’s how the streaming top 10 looks right now:

• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (#1, 223 points)
• The Naked Gun (#2, 163 points)
• Night Hunter (#3, 137 points)
• High Ground (#4, 133 points)
• The Stranger in My Home (#5, 107 points)
• World War Z (#6, 83 points)
• IF (#7, 70 points)
• Take Cover (#8, 47 points)
• Trust (#9, 42 points)
• Mean Girls (#10, 40 points)

Not bad company, considering Tom Cruise is probably hanging from a cliff somewhere at the top of this chart.

Mixed Reviews? Sure. But Families Love It

Back when ‘IF’ hit theaters on May 17, 2024, critics shrugged, audiences grinned, and the review sites reflected exactly that. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer holds steady at 57%—so barely on the fresh side, but not rotting either. Oddly enough, the much more useful ‘Popcornmeter’ (i.e. the audience score) is a much stronger 85%. Meanwhile on Metacritic, the movie is stuck with a 46 (out of 100) on the critic side. Not great! But the user score there is a solid 6.2 out of 10, based on over 150 ratings.

For the people counting actual money, ‘IF’ made $190.5 million worldwide off a $110 million production budget. Given how hard it is for original family movies to make a splash these days, I’d call that a moderate win.

"The real surprise here isn’t that the critics hesitated—it’s that audiences jumped on board after the movie moved to streaming. Clearly, families looking for a Ryan Reynolds fix have found their happy place."

So What’s ‘IF’ About, Anyway?

Here’s the premise: Bea (played by Cailey Fleming), a 12-year-old, moves in with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw) while Bea’s dad deals with heart surgery in the hospital. Classic kids-movie setup. Except things get weird: Bea discovers she can see the imaginary friends left behind by other kids who, well, grew up. Enter Cal (that’s Ryan Reynolds), another adult who can also see these lost imaginary pals. Together they play something like matchmaker for imaginary creatures, helping them find new kids before they fade into obscurity.

There’s a zillion oddball imaginary friends, mixing live action and a boatload of animated/CGI voices. Unsurprisingly, John Krasinski not only directed this thing, he also wrote and co-produced it (alongside Reynolds himself, Andrew Form, and Allyson Seeger).

Who’s Actually in This Thing?

The cast list is stacked in a way that honestly feels like someone just called in every Hollywood favor ever owed:
Live action includes Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, Liza Colon-Zayas, and Bobby Moynihan.
Voices include Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Awkwafina, Emily Blunt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper, and even Blake Lively (because why not have Reynolds’ actual wife in there too?).

Also: If you find yourself at all surprised by how many A-listers show up here, you’re not alone—most people barely noticed based on the original theatrical run.

The Bottom Line

So in the end, ‘IF’ might never have been a critics’ darling. But the streaming charts don’t lie—families are watching this thing. Whether they just want to keep the kids busy or they actually like it, who knows. For now, it’s proof that a movie can quietly build a fanbase after most people have already forgotten its opening weekend.