The Closet

François Pignon is a mild-mannered, divorced man who works as an accountant at a rubber factory. On the day of the factory photoshoot he is kept off-camera and learns he is about to be downsized. Faced with this firing, he contemplates suicide as an option to escape his mundane life.

Belone, Pignon's eccentric former industrial psychologist neighbor, suggests a drastic plan to save him. He advises Pignon to insert his image into provocative gay snapshots and mail them anonymously to the CEO Kopel. The underlying idea is that the condom factory's support for the gay community will force Kopel to keep Pignon employed to avoid charges of anti-LGBT discrimination.

Pignon refuses to change his mild, self-effacing demeanor, even as the ruse begins to work. Yet coworkers and supervisors start seeing him as exotic rather than dull, and his life improves in unexpected ways. He gains confidence and a new social footing at work.

Santini, a homophobic coworker, realizes his own job might be at risk for discrimination and is warned about it. He starts making friendlier overtures toward Pignon, trying to ride the wave of his new image. The tension between them hints at a dangerous mix of insecurity and desire.

Two workers notice Pignon waiting near his son's school and jump to a harmful conclusion about his interests. After discussing with Ariana, they assault him in the parking lot of his house, breaking his collarbone. The attack marks a brutal turn in the escalation around Pignon's ruse.

The company enters a float in a local gay pride parade and obligates Pignon to ride it. His estranged son sees the televised broadcast and is surprised by his father's hidden vitality, expressing a wish to spend more time with him. The scene marks a turning point in their relationship.

Christine, Pignon's ex-wife, invites him to dinner to demand explanations. Pignon, now more self-assured, tells her what he thinks and asserts his independence. The exchange crystallizes the change in their dynamic.

Santini's supposed friendship with Pignon deepens into an obsessive fixation. His wife suspects an affair after finding a pink cashmere sweater receipt and leaves him when he buys chocolates for Pignon. The mounting obsession drives him toward a breakdown.

Santini invites Pignon to move in with him, hoping to deepen the bond. Pignon declines, triggering Santini's emotional breakdown. A fight ensues, and Santini is fired and eventually institutionalized to recover.

Kopel catches Pignon mid-act on the factory conveyor with Mlle Bertrand during a tour for Japanese guests, revealing the ruse. Despite the exposure, Pignon has grown more assertive and manages to keep his job. The incident reshapes how others see him and cements his new position.

With his confidence restored, Pignon keeps his job and repairs relationships with his son and with Belone. He also helps Santini restore his own employment, reinforcing the support network around him.

Pignon's life stabilizes as his romance with Mlle Bertrand blossoms. He finds happiness beyond work and family, and his personal life gains a new center. The relationship marks the culmination of his transformation.

The finale mirrors the opening scene, but Pignon re-enters the photo and pushes his former offenders out of the frame. In the process, he accidentally breaks one man's collarbone, closing the arc with a comic, cathartic reversal.