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Close
2022 104 min Belgium, France, Netherlands PG-13 16+
★8.2
Drama
Director: Lukas Dhont
Trailers
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Description
Two 13-year-old boys spend an idyllic summer together, but their connection is put to the test when they become the subject of speculation at school.
US Gross:
$1.1M
Worldwide:
$3.13M
Starring
Eden Dambrine
Actor
Gustav De Waele
Actor
Émilie Dequenne
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2022
— Grand Jury Prize
César Awards 2023
— Best International Feature Film
European Film Awards 2022
— Best Picture
Cannes Film Festival 2022
— Grand Jury Prize
European Film Awards 2022
— Best Director
Golden Globe 2023
— Best International Feature Film
Cannes Film Festival 2022
— Palme d'Or
European Film Awards 2022
— Best Actor
European Film Awards 2022
— Student Award (EUFA)
European Film Awards 2022
— Best Screenplay
Key opinion
Close is a visually evocative and deeply emotional drama that examines the fragility of childhood friendship and the destructive influence of societal prejudice. While the film is widely praised for its powerful performances and empathetic direction, it faces some criticism for its reliance on certain melodramatic tropes and a narrative structure that some viewers find uneven.
| Acting | Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele deliver exceptional, naturalistic performances that capture the nuanced shifts of adolescence. | |
| Direction | Lukas Dhont demonstrates directorial maturity through a reflective, meditative style that allows the audience to infer meaning from silence rather than relying on moralizing exposition. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography effectively uses nature-rich, lingering visuals and intimate close-ups to mirror the characters' internal maturation and grief. | |
| Theme | The film acts as a powerful examination of how societal pressures and imposed labels can fracture intimate, innocent bonds between young boys. | |
| Emotion | The emotional weight of the narrative is polarizing; some find it a profoundly moving exploration of grief, while others argue it leans into clichéd, manipulative tear-jerker tropes. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are divided: supporters praise its subtle, honest avoidance of overt explanation, whereas detractors perceive it as empty, repetitive, or ideologically driven. |