CLOSE

“Close” is a 2022 coming-of-age drama directed by Lukas Dhont and written by Dhont and Angelo Tijssens.

The film takes place in rural Belgium and follows two 13- boys, Léo (played by Eden Dambrine )and Rémi (played by Gustav De Waele), whose unusually close friendship is thrown into chaos when their peers notice their intimacy, which creates a rift between them.

After a summer together, the two boys start middle school. Classmates almost immediately notice their affection toward each other and ask if they are a couple. Léo flatly denies it, while Rémi says nothing, making matters worse.

Léo feels uncomfortable when others make homophobic comments about him and Rémi due to their closeness. To avoid being excluded, he makes new friends and joins an ice hockey team, excluding Rémi. During a sleepover at Rémi’s, Léo chooses to sleep on a different mattress but wakes up to find Rémi on the same one. They start play-wrestling, but it gets rough and ends with Rémi hurt and confused. They keep the incident to themselves and don’t tell their parents.
As time goes by, Léo becomes more distant from Rémi. Despite Rémi’s attempts to engage with him, Léo no longer stays with him and begins socializing with other students while cycling, playing ice hockey, and devoting more time to working on the farm.

Rémi finally confronts Léo about why he has distanced himself from him, to which Léo becomes defensive. Distraught and exasperated, Rémi attacks Léo. The two physically fight in the playground in front of their classmates.

One day, after a school trip from which Rémi is absent, the class is informed that Rémi has passed away and that he committed suicide.
Léo instantly believes that his withdrawal from his friendship caused it. Léo closes off his emotions and distances himself from everyone, unable to talk to anyone about it. Léo also learns that Rémi’s mother, Sophie (played by Emilie Dequenne), was the one who found Rémi’s body.

Léo tries to suppress his inner pain, but guilt is clearly manifesting inside. He even tries to cover it up by continuing to play ice hockey and work on the family farm to distract from reality.

After Rémi’s funeral, Léo knows he has to talk to Sophie. However, he cannot express what happened between him and Rémi, fearing her reaction. When the next summer vacation begins, Léo visits Sophie at the hospital where she works without warning. Shocked by his presence, she offers to drive him home. While in the car, Léo tells Sophie that he feels Rémi’s suicide is his fault for pushing him away.

Sophie initially acts angrily and kicks Léo out of the car in a secluded wooded area. She returns to look for Léo, and after a moment of extreme tension between the two, the weight of grief is suddenly released. They embrace and cry together, finally getting closure in their shared grief.
Sometime later, Léo tries to revisit Sophie but finds that she and Peter have moved away, leaving the house empty.
The film ‘Close’ is emotionally powerful and captivating. It touches upon the difficulties of self-discovery and growth, which are some of the most challenging periods in our lives. The film skillfully immerses you in its world, and you become fully invested in the characters and their story.

The film “Close” was released by A24 Films in January 2023 in the United States and is currently available for streaming on most platforms.