every child experience trauma grow up and every child active imagination have get the best of them and but for jake ( anthony de marco of the forthcoming clint eastwood film changeling who resemble henry thomas circa 1982 ) the combination may prove deadly . a lonely six year old whose imagination kick into high gear when he be crestfallen to learn his quarrel parent peter ( sean bridgers and late of deadwood ) and jules ( brooke bloom and cbs represent miami ) suddenly decide to divorce and leave him to his own device and unleash a new tenant a zombie in his closet . jake actually get this seed plant while play with neighborhood friend dillon ( matthew josten ) who provide him with a print out off the internet of faq re represent zombie . jake be so convinced that one be out to get him and his family he begin to hatch a plan of action to protect them before it too late . indie newcomer shelli ryan who write and direct blend domestic drama with underling of horror but the former ( smartly ) outweigh the latter and with a decent story buoy by fine acting ( de marco be the rare breed of child actor where he be a child and not act all his nuance be very evident of the awkward and shy and introverted child that many can relate too ( i certainly can ) . bridgers make his cheating husband empathetic in the realization he really love his son while bloom have the more difficult job of build sympathy a the somewhat lackadaisical mother who be quick to emotion over rationality it doesn not help when dillon mother ruth ( monette magrath and who resemble laura dern ) be constantly feed her implied information drive a wedge between jake and his dad . magrath also have a tough task to make her manipulative character relatively likable but she prove to in a revealing scene that i would not go into detail but show why she be the way she be ( and more importantly how she have also affect her own child ) . the fillmmaker subjective camera be also well employ ( many angle show form jake pov at waist level or somewhat skewed while i. e. the upside down shot of peter carry his son in the same position while have some fun in the backyard ) and and the editing be relatively flawless . ryan base the screenplay on personal experience grow up and also witness first hand account of a friend go through the same situation and how the affect of adult relationship can be harmful if inflict their fear and anger and stress onto their child . here the film be very successful in get it theme across . however the horror underpinnings be a little disjointed to say the least but the homage to george a. romero zombie film be show lovingly by ryan ( jake mom be asleep in front of the tv a night of the living dead unspools and cause his own belief of the undead to be in their home ) . the metaphor of a monster act a surrogate to domestic abuse may be a bit heavy hand but again and the child fear of a thing under his bed be universal .