Sketch

NOW IN THEATERS! A horror movie for kids from Angel Studios? Sort of. In the world of Seth Worley, there are whimsical and scary monsters and a kid crying for help in Sketch.

Our tale opens in a small town where the Wyatt family is still reeling from the loss of their mother. Taylor Wyatt (Tony Hale), the widowed father, is trying to sell the family home with the help of his sister Liz (D’Arcy Carden), hoping to escape their painful loss with a fresh start. His daughter, Amber (Bianca Belle), spends her time drawing monsters, the violent kind, in a sketchbook as a way of coping with her grief. Her older brother Jack (Kue Lawrence) is caught in the middle of the conflict, trying to hold the family together.

While exploring the area, Jack stumbles upon a mysterious pond with seemingly magical restorative powers. Anytime he drops something broken in the pond, it comes out repaired. After accidentally dropping Amber’s sketchbook into the water, something strange begins to happen. The pond brings Amber’s drawings to life: mischievous mouse-like dust balls, crayon beasts, chalky nightmares, and goofy-eyed ghouls that attack their school bus.

Soon, the Wyatts’ home is overrun by creatures born from Amber’s bizarre and twisted mind. As the town descends into disorder, the Wyatt family realizes they must come together to stop the very creatures they never meant to unleash. Jack, Amber, and the slightly crazy Bowman (Kalon Cox) try to come up with weapons to fight back. Taylor and Liz are in a race to save their kids and their family at the same time.

D’Arcy Carden and Tony Hale react in shock during one of the film’s more colorful moments

“…the pond brings Amber’s drawings to life…”

Is Angel Studios now in the horror game? One would surmise that if they did get into horror, there has to be a good reason. In fact, good horror explores some of the dark and painful recesses of the human mind. In the case of Sketch, it’s about loss. Horror here is a catalyst to somehow bring a fractured family back together after a traumatic loss. The film opens with the school concerned about Amber’s violent drawings. The school counselor lets her know that there’s nothing wrong with drawing out your feelings, because keeping them in would be much worse.

Though there are silly elements to Sketch, it’s the seriousness of the subject matter that I find refreshing for children who experience loss. Writer/director Seth Worley keeps the tone of Sketch perfectly balanced between the fantastical world of monsters and grounded reality. His handling of the subject of grief is poignant and spot-on.

Known for his comedic career, Tony Hale delivers a thoughtful and honest portrayal of Taylor as a single father at his wit’s end. Along with D’Arcy Carden, they serve as the emotional foundation to the antics of the younger cast. Not all child actors need to pull off a Dakota Fanning or Haley Joel Osment performance. All Bianca Belle and Kue Lawrence had to do was act their age and leave the comic relief to the hilarious Kalon Cox as Bowman.

Sketch isn’t the greatest movie ever made, but it’s great at being a touching and thoughtful story of young kids and preteens. Losing someone you love is never easy, but the simple message for kids in Sketch is you’re not alone, especially when it’s too difficult to say or understand what you’re feeling.