Closet Monster
2016 · Directed by Stephen Dunn
Original language: English
- drama
- fantasy
- mystery
The story
A creative and driven teenager is desperate to escape his hometown and the haunting memories of his turbulent childhood.
What it’s like
Muted coastal grey and washed-out daylight, with the sea and small-town streets rendered in cool, dampened colour, while the interiors glow warm and close: a tree house, a bedroom lit by a lamp. The camera stays fairly intimate and patient, and small handmade creature work gives the fantasy moments a tactile, slightly uncanny softness. The score is sparse and melancholy, with long stretches of quiet. The vibe is wistful and bruised, a quiet ache of adolescence hardened by cruelty. It suits a grey afternoon or a late night alone when you want something intimate and reflective rather than escapist. The pacing is unhurried, and the emotional register stays raw and sincere. It follows a sensitive, imaginative teenager gradually reckoning with his past and with who he is. Intensity is moderate: bullying, verbal abuse, and a hate-motivated assault that is sudden and harsh but not gory, with a persistent undercurrent of dread. It is for viewers who want a tender, honest coming-of-age story about queer identity and the cost of feeling different, and who can sit with difficult, emotionally heavy material.
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