Close
2022 · Directed by Lukas Dhont
Original language: French
- drama
The story
Two 13-year-old boys spend an idyllic summer together, but their connection is put to the test when they become the subject of speculation at school.
What it’s like
Soft, sun-warmed summer light and close, handheld framing that stays tight on faces and hands, so that fields, bikes and bedrooms feel intimate rather than scenic. The palette is muted and natural: pale greens, faded denim, the gold of late afternoon in the Flemish countryside, with a quiet, observational rhythm that lets long moments breathe. The score is sparse and restrained, and much of the film is carried by ambient sound, birdsong, wind across the grass, the rattle of bicycle chains. Its vibe is tender and aching, a slow ache of grief folding back into memory. The tone is emotionally heavy but not cruel: the bullying and the loss arrive in understated, painful scenes rather than sensational ones, and the film is gentle in its violence, with the harm largely emotional and one devastating event handled off-screen and without graphic detail. It works best for a quiet evening alone or with someone you trust, and suits viewers who want a restrained, deeply felt drama about boyhood, loyalty, and what is left unsaid, and who can sit with sadness that is patient rather than sudden.
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