Sketch, 2025.
Written and Directed by Seth Worley.
Starring Tony Hale, D’Arcy Carden, Bianca Belle, Kue Lawrence, Kalon Cox, Jaxen Kenner, Genesis Rose Brown, Randa Newman, Allie McCulloch, Nadia Benavides, Dajanae Cole, Josh Inocalla, and Leigha Hancock.
SYNOPSIS:
When a young girl’s sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life-chaotic, real and on the loose. As the towns descends into chaos, her family must reunite and stop the monsters they never meant to unleash.
In writer/director Seth Worley’s imaginatively gloomy yet family-friendly fantasy feature Sketch, young Amber Wyatt (Bianca Belle) is already facing a rough patch in life. It’s one no child should ever have to go through, as she is still grieving the loss of her mom while wondering, alongside her brother Jack (Kue Lawrence), if only having their father, Taylor (Tony Hale), makes them orphans. At the dinner table, Jack takes the time to Google the correct terminology, which turns out to be “maternal orphan”. The answer doesn’t provide much comfort or solace to Amber, but that doesn’t stop Jack from trying to cheer her up and turning it into a Power Rangers joke.
Naturally, everyone is handling the death in their own way. Not only is Amber showing her emotional pain on the outside, but she is also the target of some bullying by classmate Bowman Lynch (Kalon Cox), which only accentuates the hurt she feels. Between that and mourning her mom, Amber’s mind is understandably in a dark place, causing her to draw equally disturbing images in her sketchbook. It boils down to a variety of monsters harming people in unique ways, with one specific drawing showing Bowman getting stabbed.
To be clear, this is still a children’s film, so it must be stressed that none of this is graphic or violent, but there is also no denying that it is heavy for such a genre. One would also argue that films for children confidently explored such heavier themes decades ago, meaning that the mere existence of Sketch is refreshing, seemingly coming from a filmmaker who doesn’t underestimate the intelligence of children and wants to meet them at their level while telling a story about dark times and thoughts, but with a fun angle. And before we start giving credit to the often evangelical and preachy Angel Studios, here is a reminder that they brought this film, which has none of those traits, out of Toronto and are distributing it, having had nothing to do with its production.
Seth Worley also has a firm grasp of what messages he wants to instill in children with Sketch, with some of that coming across in an opening sequence depicting Amber in conversation with her school therapist, who encourages her to stick with the problematic art because, hey, it’s better than actually harming her bully. Like the film, the counselor also trusts that children are not dumb and that, sooner or later, the realities of what Amber wants to happen will settle in. It’s also pleasant to see a film imploring a child to stick with an artistic hobby even if what they are creating with it is troubling and certainly unacceptable. Imagination should be stressed and pushed at any cost, which is also something Sketch smartly understands.
Nevertheless, Amber is technically still in trouble, which brings her father, Taylor, into the school. That’s also a nuisance since he is in the process of working with his realtor sister Liz (D’Arcy Carden) to strip the home of all personal and sentimental belongings so it can be sold and the family can start anew. He is concerned about his daughter’s sketches, but also respects her privacy when asked not to look into the drawings inside her next book. Meanwhile, Jack puts on a playful, jokey, optimistic front but has yet to process or overcome his grief. He has also found a mysterious pond that can repair anything (such as his broken phone), and he starts to get the idea that maybe if he places his mother’s ashes inside, it could bring her back to life.
Drama and shenanigans ensue, resulting in Amber’s monster sketches coming to life, whilst also behaving in the same manner and purpose they were drawn. This also means that Sketch transitions into something resembling a family-friendly horror movie, with creatures brought to life through a mixture of digital and practical effects, the latter of which are intentionally silly (think googly eyes or ultra-bright colors) to play into the concept that there are drawings. Yes, there are whimsical visuals, but that doesn’t mean there is no sense of danger; there are bus accidents, journeys into the woods, and weapons (inspired by video games) materialized from sketches placed into the pond. It also must be stressed that one of the beings on the loose is a human-shaped, shrouded in darkness figure that represents the evil thoughts within Amber.
Sketch also isn’t deathly serious all the time: it is concerned with letting the kids have fun while roped into peril. They banter amongst themselves with some clarity coming between Amber and Bowman, who doesn’t necessarily realize how much his all-in-good-fun bullying is emotionally stinging her (this feels conveniently dealt with, and one of the only false notes here). Admittedly, something is sometimes off about the humor, and there is nothing that striking about the action, but it is more than serviceable for children. It’s also an inventive avenue for telling a story about anyone battling their demons, specifically children here.
As for the Wyatt family, they not only have to work together to survive but will also be pushed into clearing the air about their feelings, the dysfunctional baggage bringing them down, and how they should be managing grief. Most importantly, the themes are poignant, the colors are splashy, and Sketch is as imaginative as young Amber, navigating death and darkness through art.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
