Written and Directed by: Stephen Dunn
Starring: Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams, Joanne Kelly, Aliocha Schneider, Sofia Banzhaf, Jack Fulton, with Mary Walsh and Isabella Rossellini
A coming of age drama about Oscar Madly, a creative and driven teenager, desperate to escape his hometown and the haunting memories of his turbulent childhood.
Now playing in select theaters.
When I saw the trailer for Closet Monster, I was instantly captivated by it. It looked like this strange art house mix of coming-of-age drama and mystery and horror. Well it is all of that and I absolutely adored every second of it. I sort of got the same feeling from Closet Monster as I did from The Virgin Suicides. They aren’t similar movies but they have similar feelings to them, this air of mystery and uncertainty.
I don’t want to go to much into plot details. I really think going into this knowing as little as possible will just make it that much more enjoyable. Everything that happens really propels the story. Nothing happens without a reason, nothing is wasted or thrown away. It’s really a testament to how well it’s written.
Performance wise, it’s revelatory. Connor Jessup turns in one of the year’s best performances. His co-stars are all wonderful but it’s Jessup that demands the attention. He’s electrifying and his ability to pull off all of the levels of emotion and complexity required for this role definitely make him one to watch.
Visually, Closet Monster is gorgeous. Stephen Dunn has delivered an absolutely wonder of a film. It’s gorgeously shot, sublimely written, and is a film I wish existed when I was a kid. This is the kind of coming of age tale that the world needs. It’s not safe, it’s not neat, as fantastical as some elements may be, it is relatable, especially for a guy like me who grew up weird and into horror and afraid to let anyone know who I truly was.
Closet Monster is in select cities now. It’s one of the best movies of 2016 and should be at the top of your must-see list.
Garon Cockrell is the Founder and Editor of Pop Culture Beast and host of The Pop Culture Beast Show. He founded the site over seven years ago to have a place on the internet to write about the things he loved. Since then, Garon has become a best-selling author (Demonic and Other Tales), an award winning screenwriter (Best Screenplay 2013 Motor City Nightmares Film Festival), and a cast member on the top rated podcast, Never Not Funny.