Studio: Angel Studios
Release Date: 10/14/2025
Rating: PG
Film Grade: B+
The Story: Amber’s been having problems at school. As a young girl with a hyperactive imagination, her disturbing drawings of monsters have caught the eye of the administration. It seems drawing one of your classmates being pierced through the stomach and bleeding out is frowned upon these days.
It’s when her brother finds a mysterious pond that can both heal and create things that the real trouble starts. Water and sketchbooks aren’t meant to mix.
My Take: I had no idea what this movie was about when it showed up on our library’s new release list but am I ever glad that we took a chance on it.
Sketch is a wonderful example of a fantasy/adventure story that features good characters, imaginative creatures, snappy dialog, and thrilling situations. In a way, it’s reminiscent of the films that Steven Spielberg used to make decades ago. You have young kids that are dealing with family troubles, set in a situation that the adults don’t believe at first, trying to undo the problems they caused. A classic recipe that bakes up a whole lot of fun.
This is the first feature film for writer/director Seth Worley and what a debut it is. The script feels fresh and original, from the characters to the designs to the dialog. He tapped Tony Hale as Amber’s father, Taylor, and I was impressed with his work here. I didn’t recognize him at first, but he gets huge credit for adding depth, compassion, and caring to the dad in a completely believable way. Not to be outdone, the three main child actors are outstanding. These are sharp cookies dealing with some tough emotional challenges and physical dangers, but they are each able to nail some humorous dialog along the way. Worley has done an excellent job of getting fine performances out of them.
While the action-adventure part of the plot is the main driver, the movie also offers some deeper themes of accepting loss and how to deal with it, but it does so without ever dragging things down. For those that might be concerned about this being produced by Angel Studios, have no worries. You’d be hard pressed to tell that this wasn’t made by any of the big studios, other than it plays a little less crude and crass. To me, that’s a good thing, and a welcome return to kid-focused cinema of the past.
Visuals: For a low budget movie, it does some amazing things. Yes, it helps that the monsters are all brought to life from a young girl’s sketches, but the effects teams have done a great job of making that idea both interesting and fun. There’s one exception, with a creature based on something real. It looks off, but that scene only lasts for a minute or two. Beyond that, the color, contrast, and clarity are all fine for this feature.
Audio: I wish they would have included Atmos on the disc, but it’s just a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Still, there are some good directional cues, and the subs are active when needed, shaking the room for one particular sequence. The soundtrack features a fun, adventurous theme, matching the on-screen action and events. Even though the movie is focused on kids, the score never dips into the cloyingly sweet trap that’s so often found in these movies.
Special Features: I didn’t have time to watch all of these, but while the roundtable discussion goes on for too long, it show that there was good chemistry between the actors that made it to the final film.
- 2 Commentary Tracks, one with the young cast, one with the directors & producers
- Q and A with the Cast
- Roundtable Discussion with the cast and director
Final Verdict: My wife and I loved this movie, drawing us in immediately. Worley has done an amazing job with a budget estimated at just $3M, creating something that looks right at home on a big screen and effortlessly outdoing recent big-budget counterparts. I’ve made mention in other reviews that we’re seeing some quality productions from new directors, and this is another example that gives me high hopes for the future.
Highly recommended, especially for parents looking for something they can watch with their kids. While the movie has some monsters, it’s not overly scary, and they’re presented in an imaginative way that will capture their attention. But even if you don’t have kids, it can be enjoyed just for its sense of pure fun. That’s something that’s missing in a lot of today’s films, but it’s here in spades, mixed with a dose of charm for good measure. That makes it a true gem, and we’ll be buying this for our collection.
Fun Quote: “Did you just pause?”
The trailer is semi-spoilerish, but does a good job of representing the tone of the movie without giving too much away.
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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