Critality: “Sketch” is an enriching film on hand -drawn monsters
by Alex Billington
August 8, 2025
“You are incredibly creative … But life is to balance good and evil.” There are many, many, much too many films made today in which mourning is used as a plot device. It’s redundant, repetitive and shot. And it continues to happen again and again. However, there are some good films that actually concern sorrow. Sketch is one of the vouchers. Written and produced by Seth Worley Like his debut as director of features after many other shorts, Sketch is an independent production which was presented for the first time at the Toronto Film Film Festival in 2025 last year. It is a magic adventure film, fanciful, fully fun, deliciously intelligent, really comforting and deeply inspiring that anyone at any age can appreciate. He was taken over by the distributor Angel Studios (more about it later) and now plays in theaters where he should be seen. Bring your whole family, but above all, take the children to go see Sketch And let them inspire and moved and intrigued by it. Not only is tons of pleasure – it is the kind of film that could actually make a real difference in someone’s life.
Written and directed by Worley, Sketch concerns a family – Tony Hale plays the role of Taylor Wyatt, with his two Amber children (Beautiful white) and Jack (Lawrence cake). There is no direct explanation for what happened, but it is obvious that the mother / woman has died and now their family is trying to pass together. Taylor Liz’s sister (Arcy Carden) Help from time to time, but this story really concerns Taylor to face as a single father who tries to get out of it while fighting with the overwhelming feelings of sorrow. Her daughter Amber, a brilliant and creative girl, has trouble at school because her usual brilliant and fun drawings took a very dark turn. There is blood and death and scary monsters and things in his sketch book. But instead of doing this a bad thing, this script tenderly explores this darkness in the context of the sorrow they all feel. When his brother finds a strange magic lake in the forest near their home, and his sketchbook is accidentally thrown there, his various monsters drawn by hand begin to come to life and wreak havoc in their city. It is a story about how dark things can go after losing someone, but also how a loving family can overcome this darkness by working together. As Taylor says – you have to balance evil with good.
If someone will make a film that is actually, literally about sorrow, so it’s here beautiful Example of how to do it properly. And how to make it significant and fun and attractive in an intelligent way. And how to really approach sorrow directly instead of simply stuffing it in the script to give the characters a cliché background frame. Sketch is such a stimulating and inspiring film – letting fun creativity flourish on the screen to inspire creativity inside us all. It’s funny and the children are great. It’s really something special – as everyone said since their first in Tiff last year. Unlike all these other films that use sorrow but barely mention it, this film actually talks about it, discussing how feelings are overwhelming and how difficult it is to move on and continue with life. And this does so in a way that is also accessible for children. Of course – this is a story about children made for children. But it is not easy to achieve without becoming too cheesy. It is so wonderfully endearing because it does not shame anyone or does not make a scary subject to discuss, it shows us in an appropriate way that the idea of not Discussing it is even more frightening. Her drawings are dark and bizarre (and funny), but that is part of the way she treats her own sorrow and sadness. Few films are still as honest.
Tony Hale is also absolutely great in this area. His reactions, his emotions, his credibility, his comic timing are all perfect here. He deliciously connects these two children, and they all make this story so fun. If I did not know it was an independent film that was presented at Tiff, I would probably have thought it was a great studio production. It is so well done and entertaining – and exactly the kind of film you want to run home and talk to everyone. Alas, the film is published by the right -wing religious distributor called Angel Studios. We were our policy to ignore everything they have extinguished. But that deserves an exception. Sketch is surprisingly devoid of any Religious shades or a context, or anything political or right or all that is controversial of this kind. Which is a relief. It is an excellent film whatever happens, especially because it evolves if without religion – or any other dogma often used to help to face sorrow – and deserves to be seen and appreciated, no matter who publishes it. Although I think I have to recognize this aspect.
The announcement of odious application that appears during credits is also disgusting, dishonest and bad. But that’s another story. Apart from that, Sketch is a refreshing and enriching cinematographic creation. We really need more imaginative, healthy and fun adventures to balance the evil in the world with good films.
Alex’s note: 8 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @Firsthowing / Or letterboxd – @firsshowing
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