A young boy with telekinetic powers unleashes a force set on destroying anything in its path.
We meet Cameron, a child who has the ability to move things with his mind. He likes to play in his closet a lot of the time with his action figures. His father appears terrified of his powers and what something so simple as playing in his room can do thanks to his special abilities. Late one night, the man investigates the closet and is killed by a machete, it's made to look like an accident. The question to the audience is did Cameron control that killing or was it something more sinister?
After the traumatic event, Cameron moves to LA to live with his mother Dory and his rude stepfather Bob. We then meet Sgt. Sam Taliaferro who has been having a recurring daydream, with parts of it very similar to what Cameron has imagined. Meanwhile, Cameron starts hearing growling voices from his new closet which kill his stepfather late one night. With Sgt. Taliaferro on the case, and a psychiatrist who notices Cameron's abilities, can this evil lurking around Cameron be stopped?
There were a lot of mysteries to solve in this one. What was the connection between Taliaferro and Cameron, was Cameron's inner rage responsible for the murders, and who or what is the demonic presence lurking in the closet. The acting ws your average run of mill for a mid 80's horror film. I did think there was great chemistry between Talliaferro/Dr. Haley/Cameron throughout. Mel Harris was a standout.
Cameron's Closet definitely used ideas from other films, in particular Pulse (1988) and A Nightmare on Elm Street. There was a scene in this one very similar to Tina's death in NOES for example. Great special effects with all of the demon scenes, lots of well done gore as well.
Overall, Cameron's Closet is a very average horror film that uses elements from other films out at that time. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel or create suspense with twists and turns. It follows along the same cookie cutter path it's on from the beginning of the movie. The ending and final showdown may have been the most disappointing part of the entire movie. It felt rushed and all too expected for a horror fan like myself.
5/10.