The Wyatt family is not thriving. After the death of his wife, Taylor (Hale) is struggling to parent their two children on his own. Son Jack (Lawrence) is running himself ragged trying to stay upbeat. And daughter Amber (Belle) is a scowling magnet for trouble, lately channeling her artistic talent into exceedingly dark drawings, the kind that get you and dad pulled into the school psychologist’s office. Still, the psychologist recognizes Amber’s violent, doomy, crayon-monster scribbling for what it is: a harmless way for a grief-stricken 10-year-old to exorcise her demons. Well, seemingly harmless.
The sketches come to life. No need to belabor how – the getting-there is part of the fun of this Amblin-esque genre mashup, which pulls in comedy and drama and stepping-stool horror. While rooted in the 2020s and filmed in verdant, small-town Tennessee, Sketch is kissing cousin to classic Eighties films, tapping the same rich vein of Gremlins’ when-cute-things-attack action-comedy and The Goonies’ we-can-be-heroes uplift of young people. (Sketch’s kid actors are great – unsentimental and real-feeling – as is Hale, a most excellent Sad Dad straying far from his endearing-doof roles on Arrested Development and Veep.) Writer/director Seth Worley is clearly having fun with the Amber-inspired monsters made real: They bear googly eyes and vomit sparkles before incrementally scaling up to more malevolent creatures that may test younger viewers’ mettle. But Worley is just as invested in the emotional nuance of the story, which meets each of its grieving characters at their own speed and shows them a lot of grace.
That may be why the film was picked up after its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival for distribution by faith-based Angel Studios. As far as this godless film critic could detect, there’s no overt Christian messaging in Sketch, only rousing examples of compassion and loyalty and summoning the courage to stand up to scary things – worthy lessons no matter your faith or creed.
This article appears in August 8 • 2025.
