Critics reviews

A heartbreaking collision between childhood innocence and teenage angst... [Close] is described by Dhont and his actors with naturalistic restraint, and the film builds towards a devastating climax.

Astonishingly natural and engaging performances from young newcomers Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele lend heartfelt authenticity to [Close]... confirming Dhont as a deft and empathetic chronicler of the tumultuous anguish and ecstasy of adolescence.

A coming-of-age-story that’s exquisite and heart-breaking... [Close] feels sensuously instinctive, rather than plot-driven, as if the story is simply telling itself.

A beautiful, heart-wrenching film... [Close] is an authentic study of loss, buttressed by two extraordinary child actors, and complemented by a handful of impeccable adult players.

Tempered by a deceptively simple plot and documentary-like intimacy, Close shoots for Boyhood-esque realism, and wins... That the film – unlike your average modern blockbuster, smugly teasing LGBTQ representation only to fudge it – distorts clarity around the boys’ relationship feels entirely right... The film’s LGBTQ subtext is so exquisitely indistinct as to barely be there at all.

[Close] is Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/808846bd-16ac-4eb2-ab89-8b08c207ad68 one of the most heartbreaking films you’ll see this year. As if offering a balm, it’s also one of the most formally beautiful, full of scenes shot in the slant sunlight of magic hour, punctuated by stretches of ringing silence and whispering organ music... [It] is a film about loss but also healing, forgiveness and grace.

[Dhont's] young performers are heartbreaking and revelatory in their sadness – it’s hard to broadcast such deep emotion without losing an ounce of credibility... What makes Close shimmer is the beauty it finds in such a harrowing story.

Despite having a tragedy contained within it, [Close] is chiefly a film about the importance of love and understanding... Loose camerawork from Frank van den Eeden enhances the [film's] intimate, raw spirit. Even when answers are impossible to find, compassion reigns supreme.

As a springboard for its cast, and indeed Dhont himself, Close excels. A touching and gorgeously made second feature, it succeeds in leaving as few dry eyes in the house as possible.

Close critiques societal norms from a different angle, delicately tracing the emotionally deadening but invisible frameworks of conformity that are imposed on young people in their most formative years. It’s a quiet tragedy that’s rendered close to uplifting by its gentle grace and compassion.

Dhont's filmmaking, sober and real, strips back this story to its bones with little lyrical embellishment. The beauty is in its framing... its script is sharp and captivating.

Embracing Close will depend on how willing you are to forgive the filmmaker for overriding some nuances he’s established, compared to the insightful things he’s able to say when not aiming to emotionally provoke us.