Sketch (2025)

“Sketch” stars Tony Hale, D’Arcy Carden, Bianca Belle, Kue Lawrence, Karlon Cox, Jaxen Kenner, and Genesis Rose Brown.  Released on August 6, 2025, the film tells the story of a widowed father encountering strange monsters created from his daughter’s sketchbook.
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The film was written and directed by Seth Worley in his feature directorial debut.  Worley is known for making short films, commercials, and explainer videos for his clients.  Many of us have unique ways to express our emotional complexities, whether it be through conversations, actions, or even drawings.  The latter serves as a safe method to communicate our feelings about specific people or topics, allowing our imaginative minds to come alive through creative sketches.  However, they also have the capability of unintentionally hurting others if shared publicly, especially when those drawings are unexpectedly brought to life from the pages they inhabit.  This defines the latest fantasy drama that elevates the idea of “express your creativity” through animated monstrous drawings crafted by a young, grieving child.  Following a successful debut at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Seth Worley’s feature directorial debut, inspired by his proof-of-concept short film, aims to attract a broader audience as a late-summer offering for families.  Is this cinematic creation worthy of being displayed on our refrigerator door?  Let’s find out. 

The story centers on Taylor Wyatt (Hale), a father grappling with the recent loss of his wife.  Together with his two children, Jack (Lawrence) and Amber (Belle), they are struggling to cope with the passing of their mother.  Amber has been expressing her inner turmoil by creating drawings that depict her negative emotions in her sketchbook, most of which are less age-appropriate than others.  As Taylor and his sister Liz (Carden) prepare to put their house on the market, an unfortunate accident occurs when Amber’s sketchbook falls into a pool filled with mysterious magic.  Consequently, the illustrations born from Amber’s grief and anger come to life, wreaking havoc in the town.  This prompts Jack and Amber to embark on a quest to subdue the chaotic, sketchy creatures before they cause further harm to others. 

This movie is undeniably a different beast from what Angel Studios has released in the past.  Typically, I see Angel Studios as a studio whose projects are rooted in Christianity and faith-based themes, such as “The Chosen”.  However, with “Sketch”, it appears the studio is trying to expand beyond what its name suggests by embracing a more ordinary, kid-friendly fantasy theme, which I don’t seem to mind.  The film’s marketing has captured my attention, particularly with its premise of sketch drawings coming to life and the involvement of Tony Hale.  On the other hand, it’s also something I wouldn’t have rushed to see in the theater, considering the other upcoming movies in August that intrigued me the most.  Yet, by an unexpected twist of fate, I found myself watching it anyway, thanks to the mystery movie event I attended.  Initially, I assumed it would be “The Bad Guys 2”, but after viewing the trailers for Angel Studios’ upcoming projects, I felt a bit let down that it wasn’t.  But, at the very least, I got to experience an Angel Studios film in the theater for the first time, so there’s that. 

“Sketch” draws inspiration from the grounded, family-friendly fantasy dramas of the past, including “The Indian in the Cupboard”, while incorporating subtle elements of horror akin to a B-monster movie, similar to what the “Goosebumps” movie accomplished.  At its core, it unfolds as a poignant tale of grief, focusing on a father and his children as they navigate the profound loss of their mother.  A key subplot involves Amber, who channels her emotions through her drawings, though not in a positive light, until a fateful event causes those emotional drawings to spiral out of control.  From my perspective, this narrative explores how individuals manage their emotions.  While it is beneficial to express negative feelings such as grief, pain, and anger through non-violent means, it is equally important to recognize and embrace positive emotions as well.  Otherwise, you might end up causing harm for real once those negative emotions start running wild.  This film reminds audiences of the significant impact emotions have on individuals and themselves, emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility in managing them.  On paper, “Sketch” appears to offer a promising platform for educating young kids about emotional intelligence, all while providing an engaging and heartwarming storyline involving children battling the sketchy monsters conjured by one of their own.  However, when it comes to its execution, this peculiar drawing doesn’t quite reach the standards needed to be framed on the refrigerator door.

The film certainly means well in delivering heart to its drama, particularly through messages that are likely to resonate with both young children and their parents, assuming the kids can handle its scary imagery, of course.  Unfortunately, given the concept of drawings coming to life and its exploration of emotional grief, this could’ve been a lot more entertaining than what was presented.  Writer/director Seth Worley certainly had plenty to work with since this is his first feature film outside of short films and commercials.  He not only had to balance the fantasy elements with grounded family drama but also ensured he demonstrated an understanding of the cinematic language in both directing and storytelling.  There were certainly moments where the film showcased its heart and visual creativity, yet these instances couldn’t quite sustain that momentum consistently enough to maintain my interest.  I wouldn’t call it terrible by any means, as Worley endeavored to infuse humor and empathy into the “kids vs. drawings” narrative, primarily through the development of the child characters.  

Despite that, Worley’s vision was surprisingly restrained, with a few awkward tonal shifts here and there.  At times, the film veers into horror territory before transitioning into a fantasy comedy and then a nuanced drama about a fractured family and a mystical lake in the forest.  Of course, one of them was executed a bit more effectively than the others.  The film also took a while to establish its plot in the first act, and the editing, also managed by Worley, occasionally felt clunky to the point of being reminiscent of a made-for-television production.  The screenplay also showed potential for another worthy choice for family audiences, especially with its heartfelt messages about emotions.  While that may be the case during specific moments, Worley struggled to fully capitalize on the vast creativity presented by its premise.  Although he clearly aims to avoid the common pitfalls of family-friendly storytelling, it’s essential to keep the target audience engaged while providing an inspiring take on a tried-and-true narrative.  Worley’s script did have its merits, offering enjoyable characters and subtly endearing humor.  On the other hand, it also didn’t provide much to elevate its familiar plot elements, with one of them not going anywhere, and it failed to fully explore the intriguing interactions between humans and animated drawings.

While we’re on the topic of drawings, I also want to bring the movie’s visual effects into the conversation.  Although I couldn’t find the exact budget for “Sketch”, I suspect it’s lower than that of a Marvel or DC movie.  If that’s the case, then I would be amazed at how impressive the visuals looked for the sketch drawings, given the minuscule size of the budget.  The CGI not only injected a spark into the creative sketch designs but also integrated seamlessly with the live-action backgrounds, avoiding any sense of cost-cutting that might hinder the illusion.  While it may not represent a revolutionary breakthrough in visual quality, “Sketch” is another example of how a film can achieve impressive visual creativity on a limited budget.  Regardless of the overall quality, it’s certainly noteworthy that the CGI succeeded in bringing to life a kid’s limited yet imaginative drawings, even if it didn’t fully explore their potential.

The cast also did a commendable job carrying the film through their performances, with Tony Hale as a notable example.  I usually see Hale in movies that feature him as a charming goofball, notably in animated films like “Angry Birds”, “Toy Story 4”, and “Inside Out 2”.  However, “Sketch” highlights the comedian tackling a more serious role as a widowed father grappling with his responsibility of raising Jack and Amber following a tragic loss.  The result is an admirable and refreshing departure for the actor who’s known for providing a lighter and cartoony voice for a spork and a petrified emotion.  While far from an award-worthy performance, Hale’s heartwarming and nuanced portrayal of Taylor demonstrated his potential for more grounded roles in the future amid his comedic streak.  D’Arcy Carden also delivered a competent performance as Liz, and Bianca Belle infused her character, Amber, with a delightful blend of humor and complexity, enriching the film’s dynamic.  Kalon Cox took on the character of Bowman Lynch, a clueless and arrogant student who becomes the focal point of Amber’s emotions and eventually joins her and Jack to battle Amber’s monstrous sketches.  Cox offered plenty of comedy in his role, though there were occasional moments where his character’s personality might be slightly irritating, yet never to the extent of becoming unlikable.

Overall, “Sketch” lacks the creative spark in its concept to draw outside its restrained narrative box despite its visual finesse and heartwarming messages.  Undoubtedly, it had the potential to be another family hit, considering the early acclaim it received at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.  It has a seemingly wild and whimsically fun plot involving sketches coming to life, along with a grounded performance from Tony Hale.  Sadly, I’m surprised to see that the execution fell short of those expectations, mainly through Seth Worley’s tame and uneven direction, an average screenplay, and some awkward editing.  However, it also has enough merits in its impressive visual effects, Hale’s solid performance, and some acceptable humor, which allowed me to admire the craft of this cinematic sketch...most of the time.  If you’re planning on seeing this film, my only suggestion is to avoid expecting “Sketch” to be another fast-paced and quirky fantasy movie for kids.  If you take that advice to heart, you may end up enjoying it more than I did.

C