Sketch is a movie that offers a very cool, magical, funny way to help kids and parents deal with big issues like grief and self-image.
Amber Wyatt (Bianca Bell) and her brother Jack (Kue Lawrence) are trying to come to terms with life without their mother. Their father Taylor (Tony Hale) is doing his best, while his sister Liz (D’Arcy Carden) sets about selling their family home.
Jack appears to be coping well, while Amber has withdrawn into herself and spends a lot of time drawing dark images in her notebook. The dark creatures carry out what she’d like to do to people who annoy her, particularly Bowman Lynch (Kalon Cox).
When the notebook falls into a mysterious pond her creatures start coming to life and set about fulfilling her wishes.
Amber and Jack must work together to contain the creatures. Along the way they’re joined by an unlikely ally, Bowman. As the trio become overtaken by the growing number of creatures, their father and his sister also join in.
As the chaos took hold I pondered:
- The movie provides an interesting look at grief from both the child and parent points of view;
- It explores feelings and how to deal with them, self-perception, that you can’t run from pain and the power of love;
- The movie also introduces art therapy as a good way to get your feelings out;
- The young actors are excellent but it’s the badly drawn creatures that steal the show, especially delightfully wonky Dave;
- Some of the action could be scary for young children so make sure you check the classification when it comes out.
In cinemas from September 11. Check out Event Cinemas, Hoyts, Palace Raine Square, Reading Belmont, Orana, United Rockingham, Heart Margaret River.
