by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Children often an innocent and pure passion for artistic expression. Doodling. Painting. Drawing. The imagination of a child is impressive. But not all children have cute and cuddly artistic sensibilities — there are certainly kids out there with a darker approach to creating imaginary friends and creatures. Some of them are downright terrifying, and will probably start raising red flags at school or at home. Now, those draws might produce fear if they ever came to life and engaged with the real world. That is the premise of Sketch.
There is so much potential when leveraging the imagination of a child. Films like IFhave explored the same basic idea, but Sketch is much darker. Writer/director Seth Worley makes an interesting and unexpected choice to leverage storytelling elements found in horror films. Worley delivers sound-based jump scares, sharp editing, and an ominous score from Cody Fry that makes for an intense experience. This film could have easily leaned into the melodrama and sincerity of films about childhood wonder, but Worley chooses to channel the struggle of this central family, and specifically the main young artist herself, to make it tense.
A film like Sketch must lean into special effects as well, with all these drawings coming to life. The CGI effects are quite impressive for a film that did not have a huge budget. These artistic creations fit into the real world, and Worley explores the horror that they can create in the residents of its central small town. There are plenty of emotional elements circling this story, and Worley does a nice job of making them come to life on screen as well.
Sketch has a good core of themes and ideas, giving the rest a strong foundation to build on. A father (Tony Hale) struggling to raise his son and daughter is a familiar story, but Sketch focuses on the dark expressions that Amber (the daughter, played by Bianca Belle) is channeling through her drawings. A “troubled child” storyline is not fresh, but the fantastical elements of the film allow for a unique perspective on that trope. Worley spends plenty of time building up the family dynamics and building empathy, before jumping headlong into the fantasy elements, which then reinforce and expand those important dynamics and themes. There is good humor sprinkled in as well, with the aunt (D’Arcy Carden) and their realtor being quite hilarious.
The heart of the film is a story of a father trying to understand his child, and helping her overcome and process her trauma. Once the film shifts into a creature feature, there is enough groundwork laid to make those elements hit with good impact and poignancy. The overall story is familiar, but they’re presented in a new and engaging way that makes for a satisfying experience.
Belle does a really nice job as a young girl who is carrying a lot of trauma, sadness, and darkness inside her. When Worley is ratcheting up that tension, Belle is such an unnerving little presence. She delivers a memorable and effective performance.
But Hale is the film’s real anchor. Most of his performances are quirky and over-the-top, but here he is quite grounded and effective. You feel his struggle. There is sadness and worry underneath the surface, which seeps through all his actions. Hale brings the need depth to the film and anchors it all down.
As for the rest of the cast, Kue Lawrence, who portrays Amber’s brother, delivers a rock-solid performance. Carden is the needed comic relief (but in a fun, snarky way), and she channels a strong force to push her on-screen brother to move on. Carden and Hale have a great dynamic as the two main adults in the film, and the child actors who fill out the rest of the cast do a fine job.
Worley finds impressive and unexpected depth in his fantastical tale, as he does not shy away from the trauma and challenges his characters are navigating. The fantasy elements really deliver impressive effects and creative creature designs. Charming but with a darker edge, Sketch is a nostalgic ode to tales like Goosebump, finding the depth to be a lasting cinematic experience.
Rating: Liked It
Sketch is currently playing in theaters
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