In the second half, adults constantly try to help Léo—psychologists, parents, coaches. But language fails. No one knows how to say, "You feel guilty because you think your rejection killed your best friend." The film visualizes this isolation by shooting Léo in wide, empty spaces. He is surrounded by people but utterly alone.
Understanding Lukas Dhont’s " Close " (2022) is a Belgian coming-of-age drama that offers a raw and visually stunning exploration of the fragility of adolescent friendship. Directed by Lukas Dhont and co-written by Angelo Tijssens , the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival , where it won the prestigious Grand Prix . It later earned an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature Film, solidifying its place as one of the most impactful films of its year. Plot Overview: A Bond Fractured
Close is famously a film of two halves. To discuss the movie thoroughly, one must address the turning point that left Sundance audiences in stunned silence. Movie Close 2022
The title Close is a double-edged sword. At the start, Léo and Rémi are close—physically, emotionally, spiritually. By the end, Léo is close to collapse, close to madness, and finally, close to accepting his loss.
What follows is a subtle, agonizing shift in dynamic. Léo begins to distance himself. He joins the hockey team, a sport defined by aggression and padding—literally armoring himself against softness. He creates physical distance between himself and Rémi in the hallways. He stops riding his bike alongside his best friend. He attempts to "toughen up," performing a version of masculinity that rejects the tender bond he holds most dear. In the second half, adults constantly try to
Close is not just a movie about two boys. It is a warning. It argues that affection is oxygen, and when we deprive children of the right to be close, the silence that follows can be fatal. It is a hard watch, but it is an essential one—a masterpiece of quiet devastation that will linger in your bones long after the credits roll.
The film’s genius is its final act. There is no villain. No bully to blame. Just the horrifying realization that love, when denied, curdles into a force of destruction. Léo’s guilt is not for what he did, but for what he stopped doing. He stopped seeing Rémi. He stopped touching. He stopped saying: “I need you.” He is surrounded by people but utterly alone
Lukas Dhont has crafted a film that acts as a mirror. It asks us to look at our own adolescence. Did we ever pull away from a friend because we were afraid of what people would say? Did we ever see a friend pulling away and fail to ask why?
But the world has a window. And it is watching.