# Trash Mountain

> A queer man returns to his conservative Missouri hometown after his father's death to face family dysfunction and a literal mountain of hoarded possessions.
- Title: Trash Mountain · The Hollywood Reporter | Shortify
- Summary: A queer man returns to his conservative Missouri hometown after his father's death to face family dysfunction and a literal mountain of hoarded possessions…
- Keywords: trash mountain, caleb hearon, zooey deschanel, kris rey, indie comedy-drama, queer cinema, missouri, family dysfunction, hoarding, coming home, lgbtq themes, tiff
- Source: The Hollywood Reporter — https://hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/trash-mountain-review-kris-rey-zooey-deschanel-1236703428
- Author: Jourdain Searles
- Published: 2026-09-16T15:10:27+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: trash mountain, caleb hearon, zooey deschanel, kris rey, indie comedy-drama, queer cinema, missouri, family dysfunction, hoarding, coming home, lgbtq themes, tiff
## A queer life interrupted
Gavin is living his best life in Chicago with his chosen family after a drag show when he gets an urgent call from his Missouri hometown. His father has died and his half-sister needs him home for Thanksgiving.
## The hoarder's inheritance
Gavin's father was a hoarder, leaving behind a crowded house and a growing mountain of trash on the lawn. Gavin, his half-sister Abbi, their grandmother, and Abbi's husband must clean it all up.
## Stuck in the holidays
The cleanup happens near the holidays when sanitation workers are busy, forcing the family to wait while the trash pile grows. What should have been a quick trip becomes an extended stay.
## Being queer in red states
The film explores the uniquely painful experience of being queer in a conservative state, where leaving home feels like escape but family obligations pull you back.

> Being queer in a red state is a uniquely painful and complicated experience.
## Warm indie storytelling
Director Kris Rey crafts a perceptive comedy-drama that balances humor with genuine emotional complexity about family, identity, and the mess we inherit.
## Key takeaway

Coming home as a queer person to deal with family trauma requires confronting both emotional baggage and the physical mess left behind.