Closet Monster (2015)

A creative and driven teenager is desperate to escape his hometown and the haunting memories of his turbulent childhood.

Director:

Stephen Dunn

Writer:

Stephen Dunn

Stars:

Aaron Abrams, Jack Fulton, Joanne Kelly

10 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aaron Abrams	...	Peter Madly
Jack Fulton	...	Oscar Madly (9)
Joanne Kelly	...	Brin Madly
Isabella Rossellini	...	Buffy (voice)
Jinji Dawson	...	Anna
Meghan Cullen	...	Kathryn
Bradley Nippard	...	Teenage Boy (as Brad Nippard)
Megan Kennedy	...	News Reporter
Connor Jessup	...	Oscar Madly (18)
Sofia Banzhaf	...	Gemma
Sean Panting	...	Constable Bennett
Megan Rose Jones	...	Ms. Mercer
Tim Myles	...	Student (as Timothy Myles)
Mary Walsh	...	Allison
Igor Pugdog	...	Allison's Dog

Storyline

8-years-old Oscar Madly became traumatized. Around the same time that his mother left their family (with Oscar firmly taking his dad's side), Oscar witnessed a gay hate crime at school that left the victim bloodied and permanently paralyzed. Ten years pass. Oscar, befriended by his talking hamster Buffy, wants to get into a special effects make-up school (using his friend Gemma as a model), and has come to realize his spiteful father's anti-social, immature short-comings. When Oscar meets co-worker Wilder at the hardware store, sexual feelings begin to stir but accompanied by severe stomach pains (the memory of the hate crime). A farewell costume party for Wilder brings Oscar's issues to a head, expressed sometimes in surreal terms.

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Plot Keywords:

coming of age | closeted gay | treehouse | pet hamster | talking animal | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Twitter

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 May 2016 (Taiwan)

Also Known As:

Čudovište iz ormara

Filming Locations:

St John's, Newfoundland, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,118, 25 September 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$41,866, 2 December 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rhombus Media,Elevation Pictures,Best Boy Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dunn's debut feature film.

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Quotes

Oscar Madly (18): It's not New York but what do you think?
Buffy: I think you look happy.
Oscar Madly (18): Hope you don't get eaten by the seagull.
Buffy: Hm, I'm just happy you're not gonna set me on fire.
[Oscar releases Buffy to the sea]
Buffy: But you know I'm not the original hamster from your childhood, right? I mean it has been ten years. Your parents replaced me, like, four times.
Oscar Madly (18): What was that?
Buffy: Oh, nothing. Goodbye.

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Connections

References Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996)

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Soundtracks

Spheres
Performed and Written by Maya Postepski

User Reviews

Reality clash

Excellent author/director. He got it right. As a gay in this heterosexual world I have been targeted many times, I am now over 50 and still lives this heterosexual segregation daily, especially at work.

The situations you see in this film are REAL daily struggle that ANY gay person live, man or woman. If you are not lucky you get parents that are stupidly heterosexual.

If you want to see and feel what it is like to be born differently, watch this movie. If you are an heterosexual moron, like a lot of ugly people, then don't watch this, you'll get angrier in your moronic mind.

Thank you Stephen Dunn for showing some reality to the world instead of those FALSE Hollywood movies that PRETEND to show you the truth. Most Hollywood movies I've seen about the subject are hilariously schemed and false. It's like they never even spoke with a gay.

Anyway, very sensitive movie, well directed, well written, well acted, this Dunn character amazes me. Good work and don't give up, to me you are a REAL author.