Coming out stories are as common as grains of sand and you sometimes ask yourself how many more of them the world needs. That is why the film adaptation of the novel DIE MITTE DER WELT which will come out in November is so refreshing: the story of a gay teen who is comfortale with his sexuality and experiences first love in a refreshingly natural way. There’s none of that emotional balance in CLOSET MONSTER, but the film’s quality doesn’t suffer because of it. Oscar is battling with his homosexuality ever since he was witness to a homophobic hate crime in Canadian director Stephen Dunn’s debut. When he meets the seductive and inscrutable Wilder at work it leads to difficulties, but the unprocessed separation of his parents is just as big a burden on his psyche.
What makes CLOSET MONSTER so unusual for a coming out film is the way Dunn – who clearly knows what he’s talking about – chooses to show the story. Nothing is prim or reserved, it is imbued with magic realism (Oscar’s closest confidante is a hamster voiced by Isabella Rossellini!), euphoria, and passion. It’s occasionally reminiscent of fellow Canadian Xavier Dolan with its gaudy colors and exuberant electro pop soundtrack. CLOSET MONSTER is far from being a tired copy, the emotions are far too real for that. Connor Jessup, who already showed how good he was in playing a suffering gay teen on the second season of “American Crime,” is very convincing in the main role.

Patrick Heidmann

Translation: Elinor Lewy