It’s not known how it manifested, but the myth of there being a monster in a child’s closet has been around for some time. It was possibly used as a tool to make a child behave – the threat of being eaten alive by an evil creature will do that – but it may well have been the seed for childhood trauma that continued into adulthood. All part of the joys of parenting, no doubt.

Using this myth at the centre of her directorial debut is Caroline Lindy, who also wrote this rom-com monster flick.

Life is good for Laura (Melissa Barrera), living with her boyfriend Jacob (Edmund Donovan), who has written a musical that he wants her to star in.

And then her life takes a nosedive when she’s diagnosed with cancer. Jacob freaks out and leaves her, leaving Laura on her own, surrounded by pies her mother is sending her.

Feeling in a bad way she locks herself at home, but is disturbed by some noises coming from her bedroom. When she goes to investigate she finds, in her closet, a monster (Tommy Dewey), who although she doesn’t recognise at first, as been with her all of her life.

He’s angry with her initially, telling her she has two weeks to get out of the apartment, or else. But spending a little time together they become friends, and Laura suddenly finds there are benefits to having a monster as a bff.

Lindy’s debut is a curious one, straddling a number of tones over its course, with some of them working better than others. It’s not an all out monster-rom-com, which is shame, as the periods that it is exactly that, works really well. Sure it’s a premise from what feels like a really bad eighties US comedy show, but Lindy gets some great, fun performances from her two leads.

It’s when the film dips its furry toe into darker waters that it doesn’t quite work; the gear changes feel clunky, and it lacks a pleasing uniformity throughout.

The musical side of things drag on a little too long too, detracting from the focus of the relationships in the film, new and old, with her obsession over a part that was meant for her.

It’s an intriguing debut then, which has its moments, but may well leave you a little disappointingly unsatisfied by the production as a whole.