Overview
A young man's journey through trauma and self-discovery unfolds in a world where fantasy meets harsh reality.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- surreal
- tense
- quiet reflective evening
- lgbtq+ film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a distinctive and understated Canadian coming-of-age fable anchored by Connor Jessup's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Oscar experiences severe stomach pains and surreal manifestations as attraction to Wilder awakens alongside memories of anti-gay violence.
The witnessed hate crime resurfaces through Oscar's bodily reactions and surreal terms rather than remaining only backstory.
The talking hamster, tree house, costume-party imagery, and imagined closet monster transform family and sexual anxieties into fable-like forms.
Oscar initially sides with his father but gradually recognizes his father's anti-social shortcomings and confronts the legacy of homophobia around him.
Films like Closet Monster, and why
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
lgbtq+ coming-of-age drama with surreal imagery, trauma, and a distinctive adolescent protagonist
North Sea Texas
emotionally intimate queer coming-of-age story shaped by family pressure, secrecy, and self-discovery
Tomboy
stylized queer adolescence, outsider identity, and tender but unsettling fantasy elements
Thelma
surreal, melancholic coming-of-age drama using genre imagery to explore sexuality and repression
Movie Details
- Director
- Stephen Dunn
- Release Date
- 2016-07-15
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (299)
Cast
- Connor Jessup
- Aaron Abrams
- Joanne Kelly
- Aliocha Schneider
- Sofia Banzhaf
- Jack Fulton
- Mary Walsh
- Isabella Rossellini
- Jinji Dawson
- Meghan Cullen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Closet Monster about?
- A traumatized Newfoundland teenager confronts inherited homophobia and his emerging desire through surreal imagery, queer intimacy, and a talking hamster.
- What is Closet Monster like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Closet Monster as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Closet Monster violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Closet Monster as moderate.
- What did critics think of Closet Monster?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a distinctive and understated Canadian coming-of-age fable anchored by Connor Jessup's performance.
- Which films are like Closet Monster?
- Films with a similar feel include The Miseducation of Cameron Post, North Sea Texas, Tomboy, and Thelma.
- How long is Closet Monster?
- Closet Monster runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Closet Monster?
- In United States, Closet Monster streams on Strand Releasing Amazon Channel.
