SKETCH ARTIST

The hook is genuinely strong: a police sketch artist sketches his own wife as the leading suspect in a murder. Jeff Fahey gives a creditable performance as a suspicious and obsessed husband, and the central mystery could have supported a much better movie.

But this is an R-rated film with gratuitous sex scenes and nudity, along with the other serious content detailed below. The movie also fails to offer the deeper answers its characters need. Instead of knowing Christ as Savior, they seek temporal answers to eternal questions.

Even with four-star entertainment quality, the −3 Family Content rating settles the family decision. Skip it, and choose a film whose story does not require you to trade away your convictions for an intriguing premise.

Jack is a police sketch artist investigating the murder of fashion designer Tommy Silver. When a witness's description leads Jack to sketch his own wife as the leading suspect, the case becomes painfully personal.

The police investigation goes nowhere, so Jack begins investigating on his own. His search draws him toward his wife, Silver's business manager, and a mystery that threatens his marriage and his understanding of the people closest to him.

Four stars means the film has a compelling premise and enough capable work to make its failure disappointing. The idea of an artist sketching his own wife as a possible murder suspect is intriguing, and Jeff Fahey gives a creditable performance as Jack, a suspicious and obsessed husband.

The other performances are much weaker. Sean Young's characterization of Jack's wife is wooden and lifeless. Drew Barrymore's brief appearance is merely passable, not outstanding. The movie could have been much better if its strong hook had been matched by livelier acting and more disciplined content.

The film's central characters search for answers to a murder and to their personal crises, but the review finds that they need to know Christ as their Savior. Without Him, they seek temporal answers to eternal questions. The mystery may offer investigation and suspicion, but it does not provide the spiritual answer the characters need.

That gap matters. A story can explore guilt, deception, marriage, and the search for truth while still leaving its characters trapped in temporary solutions. Scripture calls viewers toward a different focus: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).

SKETCH ARTIST has an intriguing premise and a creditable lead performance, but gratuitous sex, nudity, profanity, brief violence, and numerous drinking and smoking scenes make it excessive. Its characters also seek temporal answers to eternal questions. Our answer is clear: SKIP IT. For better choices, see.