Sketch review: A fun and heartfelt family adventure
Without the backing of a major studio, Sketch has flown under the radar, which is a real shame because it’s one of the best family films of the year.
This fantasy adventure, written and directed by Seth Worley, stars Tony Hale as a grieving father Taylor, who is trying to raise two children on his own following the death of his wife. While he and his son Jack (Kue Lawrence) seem to be dealing with their grief on the surface, his daughter Amber (Bianca Belle) expresses her emotions through dark, concerning drawings. One day, her sketchbook falls into a mysterious, magical pond and the monsters in her drawings come to life.
Sketch is a fun, creative and playful film that cleverly mixes comedy, family drama and monster horror. There are some entertaining monster encounters starring creatures of all different shapes, sizes and textures that made me think of Jurassic Park or Godzilla. Some are cute, but others are quite dark, with the one towards the end being perhaps too scary for young children.
But it’s not just a light, fluffy film – it also carries an important message about grief and emotions. It shows that everybody reacts to and processes grief differently and that it’s better to feel your feelings than lock them up or compartmentalise them and pretend everything’s OK. Grief is used as a plot device a lot, but Sketch gets a pass because what it has to say about grief is important. The message is not subtle by any means, but it’s a kids’ movie!
Hale often plays silly comedy characters and he still gets to do some of that, but he’s also a grounded character amid the chaos. He’s mostly a concerned parent dealing with his own grief and figuring out parenting on his own. His on-screen children are adorable too, and I was particularly blown away by Belle, who has so much depth and emotional maturity for a young person. She feels like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Sketch is a lovely, funny film that should keep all family members entertained. Go and check out this gem!
In cinemas from Friday 24th October