Closet Monster-2016
Director-Stephen Dunn
Starring-Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams
Scott’s Review #665
Reviewed July 23, 2017
Grade: B
Closet Monster is a 2016 Canadian LGBT drama that had the honor of being featured at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was crowned the Best Canadian Drama winner.
Upstart director, Stephen Dunn, directs the film and adds some interesting visual techniques as well as some images. The story is a compelling coming-of-age piece, but the film as a whole is uneven at times, mainly with some character underdevelopment.
Still, for the subject matter, a nice film for LGBT teenagers to be exposed to.
The film is set in Newfoundland, where eighteen-year-old Oscar Madly (Connor Jessup) is a closeted, creative, teenager, with aspirations of being accepted into a prestigious school in New York, designing special effects makeup.
Through the opening scenes, featuring Oscar as an eight-year-old child, we learn that his mother has left the family to begin a new life and that Oscar witnessed a vicious beating of a gay teen, leaving him terrified of his developing feelings towards the same sex.
Oscar has issues with both of his parents- his mother’s abandonment, and his father’s temper and homophobia. He frequently escapes into a private treehouse he and his father have built and daydreams of happier childhood times with his father.
Oscar’s best friend is Gemma, who his father mistakenly assumes is his girlfriend. When Oscar meets a suave co-worker, Wilder, he immediately becomes smitten with him.
Director, Dunn, creates a talking pet hamster for Oscar, voiced by actress Isabella Rossellini, a wonderful, creative add-on to the film. Buffy is a source of advice and wisdom throughout Oscar’s constant trials and tribulations and has been with him through the years.
In a clever revelation that goes over his head, Buffy reveals to Oscar that she, in reality, has been replaced several times by other hamsters over the years.
Closet Monster has its positives and negatives. Certainly, for teenagers, or any age group, struggling with either sexuality issues or for children of divorce, the film hits it out of the park and serves as a relatable film.
Dunn successfully makes Oscar an empathetic character, with wit and charm, and just the perfect amount of vulnerability. In many ways, Oscar is mature beyond his years.
For the most part a careful character, he is surrounded by a world of chaos and disorder and uses escapism (his fantasies and secluded tree-house) to get through life. In this way, Oscar is a very strong and well-written character.
Also, a hit is the love interest of Oscar’s- the sexy Wilder. More of a bad boy, and assumed to be straight, Wilder, while rebellious, also becomes a sweet and trusted friend to Oscar.
When he realizes Oscar’s sexual preference and that he is the object of Oscar’s affections, he does not freak out or dismisses Oscar. Rather, the young men become even closer. In a tender scene, Wilder offers to be Oscar’s first kiss, so that he can experience the monumental moment especially.
Still, the film would have been wise to develop Oscar’s parents better. At first, the father (Peter Madly), appears to be a decent man, dumped by his wife, and forced to raise his son alone.
Conversely, the mother (Brin), is written as abandoning her child to selfishly start a new life with a new family (Oscar even spits in her face!). Somewhere along the line, Peter becomes a reckless homophobic with severe anger issues, and Brin is painted as the sympathetic one who suddenly is “there for Oscar”.
Better development would be recommended for these characters as I found their motives either unclear or perplexing. Why did they split in the first place?
Dunn is great at making Closet Monster an atypical film. He does not pepper the story with predictability or tried and true story points when it comes to same-sex romance, which is a brave choice.
Rather he fills the film with non-cliche moments. Closet Monster is a worthy entry in the LGBT film category and a must-see for those struggling with identity issues- the film acts as a form of therapy.