Close (2022)

Yep. Add this to the list of non-horror horror films. I’ve been waiting and hearing about this one for awhile, and once I discovered it was on Paramount+, I jumped on it. That was a mistake. Now, it’s a tragically beautiful film, and I don’t regret watching it. But it shook me up pretty good, even though I already had a small idea of what was going to happen. It starts out happy-go-lucky, and you immediately find yourself immersed with the characters and setting. As it goes on, there’s a small rift, and then a punch in the gut. And a stab to the heart. Both the gut and heart are affected. I obviously won’t say what happens, but prepare. The rest of the film (spoiler!) deals with grief and depression, in a fantastic way. My favorite thing that it did was show those feelings from multiple perspectives. It’s mostly centered on Leo, but you also see those emotions from a mothers standpoint, a fathers standpoint, and of course, a best friend (well, more than a best friend) standpoint. The performances really helped sell the idea of missing someone and feeling responsible. Eden Dambrine brings one of the best young teen performances of the 2020’s, and it’s not up for debate. He’s able to put on a smile so well, all while feeling completely beaten up and being hard on himself. Whether he was visibly showing more negative emotions as opposed to putting on a happy face, you felt so connected to him. Finally, the cinematography was astounding. It’s crazy how such a sad film can be so strikingly pretty, but the contrast is what makes this what it is. It’s clear and crisp, with bright colors, and great focus on faces when you need a reaction to move the scene forward. Overall, this film is full of grief and melancholy, but it’s somehow still gorgeous. I’ll be thinking about it for the next few days, I’ll guarantee you that. I’d definitely recommend this to everyone. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!