Trash Mountain review: Caleb Hearon is ready for his next act

American comedian Caleb Hearon' s made his mark as a content creator, amassing fans across social media and through his podcast So True with Caleb Hearon .

Earlier this year, he appeared in three films in supporting turns, ranging from the stoner-comedy Pizza Movie , to the critically heralded The Devil Wears Prada 2 , to the Netflix offering Little Brother.

But with Trash Mountain, Hearon is penning his next chapter as leading man.

Written by Hearon and Ruby Caster, Trash Mountain is as funny as you might expect, if not funnier.

But the real surprise is how truly touching this comedy with a snarky Hearon as its leading man is.

Brace yourself, because Hearon is going to make you cry.

SEE ALSO: TIFF 2026 preview: 18 films (and shows) you'll want to see (and how) What's Caleb Hearon's Trash Mountain about? Caleb Hearon stars in "Trash Mountain." Credit: TIFF Directed by Kris Rey, this comedy begins with Hearon in his comfort zone, performing stand-up at a drag club before kiki-ing with colorful queens backstage.

In an efficient and effusive opening sequence, Trash Mountain establishes Gavin (Hearon) as living it up in Chicago with a solid set of squirrel friends.

But then he gets a call from his sister Abbi (Zooey Deschanel) that their dad has died.

Just like that, Gavin is back in the rural Missouri town where he grew up.

Sleeping on his young nephew's bed, he wakes up to the sound of LEGOS clattering in play.

He's bossed about by his religious grandmother (Jacki Weaver) and grudgingly helps Abbi sort out their father's home, which is stacked floor to ceiling with stuff, stuff, stuff.

It's not just a matter of cleaning house, but locating their dead dad's lost Social Security card for some bureaucratic red tape related to his estate.

But — as a sage named Trish offers, finding something so small in so much mess is like "looking for a virgin in a whore house." ( Trash Mountain exudes small-town color.) Uninterested in revisiting his past or connecting to his grief, Gavin is constantly cracking jokes and hits up Grindr for some easy fun.