81
Metascore
34 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The TelegraphRobbie CollinThe TelegraphRobbie CollinClose is a great film about friendship, but perhaps an even greater one about being alone.
- 91The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodDhont, who displayed an impressive artistic vision with his feature and slightly problematic debut “Girl,” has pulled off something miraculous with his sophomore effort.
- 90The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinDhont and his team know just how to turn up the emotional dials with stunning magic-hour lensing that gives golden-haired Dambrine a halo of backlit suffering as he stands in fields of nodding dahlias, that most gloriously domestic and benevolent flower.
- 90SlashfilmRyan LestonSlashfilmRyan LestonClose is a story about growing up and losing those wondrous childhood relationships forever, but it's far more than that. It's a tender glimpse of loss on an unimaginable scale, told through the lens of a young boy trying to make sense of it all.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThere’s no doubting the force of this drenchingly sad story.
- 80Total FilmNeil SmithTotal FilmNeil SmithGuileless performances, understated direction and bucolic Belgian scenery combine to create a quiet gem of a film.
- 67IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichBeautiful as Dhont’s eye for detail can be, and vital as his willingness to explore the unbearably tender pockets of adolescence often proves here, Close still finds its sensitive — if sometimes borderline sadistic — young filmmaker defaulting to universal pain whenever he fears that more personal feelings may be too poignantly ethereal to see on camera.
- 67The Film StageDavid KatzThe Film StageDavid KatzEmbracing 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.
- 60VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeI am convinced that Dhont has a masterpiece in him. But there’s an immaturity to his movies that he must first overcome. He’s already so close