Coming out is usually the end of a lot of gay stories, but in A Skeleton in the Closet, a young man’s admission to his family is only the beginning.

Manuel is an architecture student living in Buenos Aires with his boyfriend, and he travels to visit his family for his parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. He hasn’t been home to see his family since he told them he was gay the previous Christmas Eve, and there are clearly conversations that need to be had with several people in his life. He came to town early to ask his folks for some money so he could move to Denmark with his boyfriend, Maximo, but things take an unexpected turn when Maximo suddenly dumps Manuel over Skype.

With his original ulterior motive now moot, he soon discovers that maybe architecture wasn’t something he wanted to study, and he takes comfort in a dalliance with a former teacher. His younger brother, Facu, is in a brooding teen phase, and his younger sister, Clarita, is eager to know what her gay older brother can teach her about boys. Luisito is the star tennis player of the family who can do no wrong, and he is the one who casts a dark shadow on Manuel’s placement in the family.

Facundo Gambandé is a relatable, easygoing leading man. He restrains Manuel’s sadness as he struggles against his black sheep status. The previous year, Manuel dropped a bomb on his family, but other secrets threaten to come out. Can this family learn from Manuel’s coming out in order to listen to one another? Manuel thinks that his honesty may have broken something within the bonds of his life, but maybe it can lead his family evolving to a more truthful place in addition to helping Manuel understand himself better.

~ Joey Moser

Official Selection – OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival (Miami and Fort Lauderdale)

Official Selection – Reeling Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival

Official Selection – Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival