The one thing that I unfailingly love in movies, novels, etc. is playfulness or mixing of genres. So, I was pretty excited when I realized that I was watching a children’s horror film from Angel Studios. I had been interested by the trailer simply for Tony Hale and D’Arcy Carden, but when I started seeing irate mothers posting online about how they were lured in to a horror movie with the promise of a faith-friendly kids’ adventure film…well, I just had to see that movie.
And, yes, be advised: Sketch is a horror movie that is also a children’s fantasy film and a family dramedy about grief. As I am a lightweight when it comes to horror, this was just about my speed. It balanced horror elements with comedy and a focus on children really well. For my money (and many online moms will back me up) this is a scary movie. But it is a scary movie that evaporates like the chalk monsters therein. Know yourself and especially your children, but I found Sketch creepy, dark, important, and fun.
After the death of her mother, a girl begins venting her dark, violent thoughts by drawing them in a dedicated notebook. Once drawn, the nightmare images can exit her mind…but a little bit of magic lets them exit the notebook as well and terrorize the family and environs.
The visual effects do a great job of realistically bringing a child’s drawings to life. You can see the textures of each one: crayon, marker, glitter, pen. The childish designs make them more frightening (as anyone who has seen disturbing children’s drawings will know). The film uses the techniques and tropes of the horror genre in a similar way to television’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: as a way of dramatizing the messy process of confronting inner demons.
Of course, all ends well…but the ride is bumpy. Sadly, the film focuses on the three child protagonists, meaning we get underserved in the Tony Hale and D’Arcy Carden departments. (These guys need to have more serious roles. Carden is such an unused talent!) There is no mention of faith in the film (aside from a joke about “giving your covenant”), and characters often say “what the hell?” So it’s not your old-school Angel Studios film, either.
I do believe that I liked it very much.