Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
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.
Close is a quietly devastating Belgian drama from Lukas Dhont that earns its reputation primarily through its extraordinary performances — Eden Dambrine delivers a remarkably raw, naturalistic turn for a young non-professional actor, anchoring the film's emotional weight. Dhont's cinematography (with Frank van den Eeden) is luminous and intimate, using extreme close-ups of faces and skin to convey closeness and its loss with unusual tactility. The plot, while emotionally potent, follows a fairly predictable arc of guilt and grief once its central tragedy occurs, and the film's themes of toxic masculinity and boyhood intimacy, while handled with sincerity, have been explored before (Elephant, Beautiful Boy, etc.). The ending offers some emotional resolution but feels slightly rushed given the film's otherwise deliberate pacing, leaving Rémi's family arc somewhat underserved. Novelty sits in the middle — Dhont's sensory, body-focused approach gives the film a distinctive texture, but it doesn't fully transcend its coming-of-age grief template.