Family-friendly horror? Don’t judge too quickly. Sketch might surprise you

Imagine all your childhood drawings came to life and tried to kill you.

Yes, Angel Studios’ latest release is as surprising as it sounds: a ‘90s-indebted family flick that is wildly inventive, thoughtful, and, at times, genuinely terrifying.

Written and directed by Seth Worley the 12A rated movie stars Tony Hale (of Arrested Development fame) as Taylor Wyatt, a widowed father struggling to sell his house while dealing with the everyday upheaval that comes with raising children.

Chief among his problems are his daughter Amber’s (Bianca Belle) often disturbing sketches, which have become a recurring point of conflict. The drawings are a mixture of mutated creepy crawlies, demonic-looking beings, and bloodthirsty monsters — each with its own modus operandi and target. (“This one stabs you in the back through the stomach.”)

But despite Taylor’s worries, Amber’s therapist insists she continue doodling as a means to channel her anger and keep the violent emotions in her “outbox.”

However, that outbox soon becomes very much out of the box when Amber’s older brother Jack (Kue Lawrence) discovers a magical pond that, after an unfortunate slip, brings her sketches to life. Together with their classmate Bowman (a scene-stealing Kalon Cox), the children scramble to outwit the monstrous doodles while their dad and aunt play catch up. Will they erase the sketches before they wreak too much havoc?

Angel Studios have become known for more overtly ‘Christian’ films – whether that’s the cutesy gospel animation King of Kings or the gritty Dietrich Bonhoeffer biopic. So, eyebrows will naturally be raised at a faith-based company, whose mission is to “amplify light”, distributing a fantasy-horror film. Are they sacrificing virtues for views?

Likewise, some Christian parents may wonder if the horror elements are worth the potential distress. Undoubtedly some children will struggle with the darker moments of Sketch; one scene involving a ghoulish figure felt particularly chilling. But context is key here: all these creatures are made up of crayon, chalk, or marker pen and (spoiler alert) no fatalities occur.

Director Seth Worley is a professing Christian and if you scratch beneath the surface, Sketch has a lot to say about the deceptive power of evil and darkness and echoes the words of the Apostle John: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”. 

Parental concerns aside, there are so many things to like about Sketch — from its sharp scripting and dazzling VFX to the breakout performances from its young cast. Tony Hale has described the movie as a blend of Jurassic Park and Inside Out. I would add to that The Goonies or Netflix’s Stranger Things for the kids-vs-evil-monsters fun.

But for all these influences, the film is inspiringly original and never feels predictable. Perhaps most impressive is how its serious and profound messages are baked into the story without ever feeling preachy or laboured. Unprocessed grief, suppressed male emotion, intrusive thoughts — it’s all here. Sketch is a smart family affair which recognises that so-called “grown-up” emotions rarely belong only to adults. The final sequence is one of the most devastating and perceptive depictions of loss I’ve witnessed on the big screen.

Sketch is a smart family affair which recognises that so-called “grown-up” emotions rarely belong only to adults

If you’re after a film that presents tidy moral lessons or obvious biblical parallels, Sketch isn’t for you. But that’s not to say it won’t encourage you in your walk of faith.

For me, it prompted prayer: asking God to bring to the surface pain I’ve too often shoved into my “outbox”; allowing space to lament as well as receive his healing.

For families struggling to process loss, I imagine this film sparking long overdue conversations, allowing young and old to feel what they need to feel, and putting death in its rightful place; as something temporary and ultimately overcome by the one we worship.

And yes, all that can happen after you watch children blast genocidal, goggly-eyed monsters with water pistols.

Sketch is now showing in UK cinemas