There’s a lot that’s been said about the importance of having an emotional outlet. Whether it’s going for a run, writing in a journal, or belting song lyrics in your car, everyone needs some form of catharsis.

But for parents, this can be particularly difficult–as we tend to put our emotional needs on the back burner in order to protect our kids’ emotions. Just like any building pressure that eventually needs to go somewhere, bottling emotions can end up causing some unwanted consequences.

Sketch, releasing in theaters nationwide on August 6, creatively deals with this idea in some delightful and unexpectedly poignant ways for families.

What is ‘Sketch’ About?

Sketch follows a grieving family who unwittingly unleashes something big onto their small town. 10-year-old Amber, still mourning the loss of her mom, gets in trouble for drawing comically dark pictures of monsters attacking classmates. Her dad, Taylor finds her art to be disturbing, but nonetheless harmless. But when Amber and her brother, Jack find out that her drawings have come to life and are wreaking havoc, they set off to track down the creatures before they do any further damage.

This is Seth Worley’s directorial feature debut, distributed by Angel Studios. Cast members include Tony Hale, D’Arcy Carden, Bianca Belle, and Kue Lawrence among others.

What Families Will Enjoy About ‘Sketch’

If you grew up with family films like 1984’s The Neverending Story or 1995’s Jumanji, where the line between imagination and reality gets blurred while dealing with some heavier subjects, Sketch should be right up your alley. Here are a few standout aspects families should enjoy:

• It expertly balances heaviness and humor: The family in the film is dealing with the loss of a parent. While it can be tough to make grief a narrative through-line while still providing enjoyment, Worley does it really well here with some great characters and well-placed humor. Tony Hale brings his range and comedic chops playing a single dad, but the kids match that energy with dramatic acting and levity that causes some literal lol’s.
• It’s a fun rollercoaster ride: As with any good family adventure, the fantastical elements that provide wonder and danger feel honest because of the emotional stakes. Monsters don’t just pop up–they’re brought to life in ways that make sense for both the momentum of the narrative and the tone of the scenes they’re in. It’s a tip of the hat to classic 80’s Amblin adventures, from that aspect. When it’s time to have fun, you have fun; and when it’s time to feel nervous, you feel nervous.
• There’s plenty to discuss: From a thematic standpoint, Sketch is a pretty full book. Families should have a lot to talk about regarding dealing with loss, healthy communication, and being responsible for what you put out in the world. The great thing is the lessons aren’t just for the kids. In that way, it’s reminiscent of a Pixar film that uses its concept to capture audiences and then explore deeper into the human experience.

Director Seth Worley Gives Us a Peek Inside His ‘Sketchbook’

Speaking of the themes in Sketch, director Seth Worley discussed a few of them with Parents. He breaks down some of his inspirations for telling this story and what he hopes parents, in particular take away from it.

You can’t control your inbox, but you can control your outbox

One striking concept that’s explored in Sketch is that of emotional inboxes and outboxes. Anyone who categorizes email to be functional understands that it’s not practical or advisable to reply to every email you receive. The same can be said for emotional responses.

At the opening of the film, Amber is talking about her disturbing drawings with a school counselor. The counselor essentially affirms Amber’s use of sketching as an “emotional outbox” to help process her feelings, as opposed to doing actual harm to one of her classmates.

“‘You can’t control your inbox, but you can control your outbox’ is something I’ve been saying to my kids for forever,” says Worley. “It’s a version of what my dad said to me about [only being able to control your own actions]. It’s such a healthy mindset–to protect yourself from unnecessary anxieties, and a way to treat others.”

Worley goes on to talk about how that opening scene mirrors an experience his own sister had while in school, being questioned about some of her violent drawings. He says hearing the responses she received from the counselor about it actually being a healthy way to deal with emotion inspired him.

“I said, ‘That’s the adult I want to be in a kid’s life,'” he recalls. “‘When I’m a parent, I want to be the one who calls that out and empowers kids [to continue processing through art].”

The things that scare us can also bring catharsis

Though I’m not a single dad, I related a lot to Taylor’s character in Sketch. His portrayal of a parent trying to keep their head above water while flailing about under the surface rang true. Also, being disturbed by Amber’s violent drawings but being hesitant to speak to her honestly about them, for fear of discouraging her, is a place a lot of parents often find themselves.

Worley says being in that place of tension spoke to him a lot while telling this story–not only as a filmmaker, but as a dad. He references films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Jurassic Park as examples of movies that equally terrified and empowered him during his formative years.

“The things [in art] that scare us and make us feel unsafe for maybe an hour and a half to two hours can also heal us,” he notes. “They give us this catharsis–a place to process and conquer what we’re afraid of.”

The drawings that come to life in the film are scary. But they serve a purpose to give shape to what Amber is experiencing through her loss, and they also give voice to Taylor and Jack in their journeys toward emotional honesty.

“[In making this movie] I saw an opportunity to tell a story that I felt was really important for both kids and parents,” Worley says. “We wanted kids to feel empowered in creative self-expression, and we wanted to inspire parents to create a safe space for kids to do that.”

Your kids need to be on the emotional journey with you

Worley gets candid about being cognizant of the idea that men are discouraged from expressing feelings openly. Instead of sitting with the feeling, we look for a solution to “fix” it.

Now, that doesn’t mean we don’t feel–but rather our operation is much more solutions-based, which can cause us to bypass the processing stage altogether. Not only does this not help our own emotional health, it affects our kids, who are mirroring our behaviors.

“As a parent, you are your kid’s first experience of the outside world,” says Worley. “You may be their only social interaction [most days]. If all you’ve got to give is this unprocessed mess of trying to live in today’s society, we don’t want to expose our kid to that. So, if we don’t have a place to put it, we hide it.”

Jack’s character, instead of sketching like his sister, is doing his best to try to fix things and get as close to how he felt before losing their mom. And he’s taking his cues from his dad.

“Jack is unconsciously taking on the role of the second parent,” Worley explains. “Sketch is way more about being a parent than being a kid. And what I’ve learned as a parent is that our kids are going through a lot more than we think they are, and they need us to be going through it with them.”

The film does a good job of showing no matter how much we try to protect our kids from emotional turmoil, they feel the same things we do. And the best thing we can do for them is exhibit honesty.

What Parents Should Know Before Watching

Sketch is rated PG for some of its subject matter and imagery. I think kids as young as 7 can probably handle it if you watch with them. But the primary target audience for this one is tweens. Here’s a bit more of what you can expect:

Mature language

There are a few instances of mild profanity throughout the film, like “sh*t,” “h*ll,” and “dumb*ss,” along with some other crude language. However, there’s nothing that I would categorize as over the line or completely gratuitous. But if you are watching with a kid who’s younger than a tween, be prepared.

As far as mature dialogue, there are instances where Amber describes the violence of the monsters she draws. There’s also a running joke the kids in the film have about butts.

Violence

While there’s no bloodshed, some of the monsters in the film look pretty intense and clearly intend to harm the kids. The kids destroy the monsters by various means, including stomping on them and using fantastical weapons on them.

Innuendo

There’s no explicit innuendo in the film. There’s one mention of a character wanting someone to be their girlfriend, but it’s pretty innocent.