Everyone deals with grief in their own way, no matter their age. It may be a hard lesson, but one Taylor Wyatt (Tony Hale) is learning on the fly in Sketch. After his wife Ally (Allie McCulloch) passed, Taylor finds himself trying to push his grief deep down. Partly for his own sake, but he thinks it would be best for his children Amber (Bianca Belle) and Jack (Kue Lawrence).
While Jack is following Taylor’s approach, Amber has found a different outlet for her grief – drawing. Her pain and grief is manifesting itself in her artwork, which has taken a very dark turn. Various different creatures and monsters fill the pages ravaging anyone she feels has done her wrong.
Taylor and the staff at Amber’s school are certainly concerned when they see the art. However the school psychologist assures them drawing is a healthier, and safer, outlet than acting on the feelings. What is on those pages makes Amber feel better and doesn’t hurt anyone. Unless of course there is a magical pond that would cause all of the drawings to come to life. Kind of like the weird pond that Jack stumbled onto the other day…
Seth Worley both wrote and directed the film. Worley has experience serving in both capacities on several shorts, but Sketch is his feature length debut. Worley has found the perfect balance of humor, thrills, and heart. A very difficult combination to nail, and even more impressive considering it is his debut. The film flies by, not dragging in the slightest which is a testament to Worley’s script and pacing.
Worley manages to create suspense and thrills without having to rely on blood or gore. Just interesting monsters and tense situations the characters find themselves in. Sketch perfectly captures what drawn monsters would look like if they came to life. They have a goofy, childlike wonder, but still manage to instill fear. The film carries a PG rating, but may be too spooky for the elementary school crowd.
The humor throughout Sketch isn’t in your face, it is subtle which makes it even more hilarious. Worley’s script combined with spot on timing, interesting shots, and great music choices all amplify the comedic aspect of certain scenes. In between all the thrills and laughs, Sketch has plenty of moments to pull at your heart strings. Sketch has something for all ages and is absolutely worth a watch.
Sketch is open in theaters now.
