Sketch
Sketch is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG. Common Sense says 10+.
When a young girl's (Bianca Belle) sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life- they’re chaotic, real and on the loose. As the town descends into chaos, her family must reunite and stop the monsters they never meant to unleash.
STORY: B+
Sesame Street meets Pan’s Labyrinth.
This film delivers everything the trailer promises. It’s got monsters who are as scary as cuddly puppies. It’s got humor as goofy as a Disney dog. And it’s stuffed full of lessons as valuable as gold.
But be warned: some of the monsters you don’t see in the trailer are flat out terrifying. And Amber’s grief goes to places much darker and scarier than you’d expect.
Overall it’s a gentle horror film that will do two things for the next generation. It will introduce them to the genre’s cinematic vocabulary, and it will show them why horror is a perfect vehicle to explore important issues.
PEOPLE: C+
No one’s perfect (and that’s ok).
To be clear: I’m not saying the performances are bad. But each age group grapples with its own dilemma.
The child actors (understandably) don’t always have the range capable of conveying a wide variety of emotion. Their performances remain level through some wildly up and down situations, like a plane that insists on flying in a straight line through a vacillating mountain range. The altitude is perfectly fine most of the time. But once in a while, it runs into the mountain.
On the other hand, the adults’ performances sometimes flail up and down regardless of the scenario. They act way too lighthearted through some terrible times. Other times they over-emote their way through mundane situations. With their wide experience and career success, their missteps are much less forgivable than the kids’.
FILM NERD STUFF: B+
An easy-to-understand example of the cinematic power of color.
Bright yellows, baby blues, neon pinks, and blazing oranges wreak havoc upon the community. The colorful chaos is like an evil Crayola box come to life.
If the director had chosen to use the dark tones so common in horror films, the movie would be too traumatic for the youngsters. The cheerful, bright color palette makes the terror much easier to swallow.
ONE BIG LESSON: A
When it comes to grief, you may need to go to some scary places.
Grief is frightening. It can make you feel like an astronaut who’s lost grip of her ship, floating out the the cold dark of outer space. It’s not going to be fun, but you can’t ignore the scary stuff as you wend your way through the grieving process.
The lessons about how to handle grief are explicitly stated throughout the movie, which is usually a big screenwriting no-no.
But these messages are so important for kids - for everyone, to be honest - that it makes sense in this case to be clear and guarantee kiddos will take these ideas home with them.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Sketch is an adorably fantastic horror film built for tweens and those on the cusp of tweendom. Its many charms, its huge heart, and its vital lessons vastly outweigh any of its imperfections. It’s the rare film that feels made for a specific audience yet is able to speak to everyone. We’d all be better off for listening to what it’s got to say.