Short Film Review: In The Closet

In The Closet
Written and Directed by: Jody Wheeler
Starring: Brent Corrigan and JT Tepnapa

Stephen King once wrote that man's greatest fear is "a closed door, slightly ajar." I might amend that to be a closed closet door, slightly ajar.

That fear is prevalent in Jody Wheeler's creep fest In The Closet that just debuted at Outfest.


In The Closet stars Brent Corrigan, soon seen in Another Gay Sequel, and JT Tepnapa, best known for Star Trek: Hidden Frontier as a couple of young gay men who meet at a bar and head home for a night of rabbit like sex.

Press, played superbly by Brent Corrigan, is awkward and unsure of himself. It's his first time and it shows. He is nervous and a bit....well...odd. He reminded me a bit of Jeff Bridges in Starman. He has a sort of faraway look about him. This is a tough role to pull off and Brent does it marvelously.

JT Tepnapa plays Griffin , the more experienced of the two. He swiftly takes charge and shows Press a night of passion and pleasure. To be honest, I am a bit jealous. If there was ever a reason to get into acting...well...nevermind that...back to the movie.

Both stars turn in great performances. Being the only actors in the film means everything pretty much falls on their shoulders. They do not disappoint.

The music and effects are also great as well as the cinematography. It really is beautifully shot. Some of the shots are almost noirish. Very very nice to look at. Kudos to Steven Lewis, Joel Bellucci, and Dex Craig for their work here.

To be honest, what you get with In The Closet exceeds anything being released in the gay horror genre. It elevates the genre to a level we have hoped for. One where story is not sacrificed for skin, despite the ample about we get to see. The film clearly leads up to some horrible event and it does not disappoint. I will say I am hoping we get a sequel soon. Or maybe even...dare I say it...a feature?

The 14 minute short is paced well. We get to know the characters enough to care what happens and enough to want to see more when it is over. In a genre that is gasping for breath and in dire need of someone to rescue it, Jody Wheeler has delivered a film that feature filmmakers in the gay horror realm wish they could produce.

It's tense, sexy, and nerve wracking. All checks in the plus column for a gay horror film if you ask me.

In The Closet is going to hit the soon to launch DoorQ theater pretty soon so make sure you check it out. Maybe keep a few lights on.

Oh, and make sure the closet door is tightly shut.

For more information on DoorQ and In The Closet, visit DoorQ, your source for horror, sci-fi, and fantasy from a gay perspective.