A24 has developed its reputation over the previous decade on the solid ground of captivating, intimate, and profound coming-of-age stories. The independent film company has made a concerted effort to promote a wide range of comedic and/or moving stories about the transformative power of introspection and self-awareness, especially in the wake of the Best Picture triumph for Moonlight in 2016. For good reason, as evidenced by the popularity of films like Lady Bird, Eighth Grade, 20th Century Women, and The Spectacular Now, the genre has become a staple in filmmakers’ work, and it looks set to continue doing so for the foreseeable future, thanks in large part to deeply felt films like Close, the follow-up feature film from Belgian writer-director Lukas Dhont (Girl), which is set for release later this year.
An intense character drama that won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and was one of the most famous titles to debut on the French Riviera now has its first teaser trailer released, giving audiences a peek of what they may expect from the Grand Prix winner. A “transformative and evocative depiction of the junction of friendship and love, identity and freedom, loss and healing,” In Close, best friends Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele) have a sweet and intimate friendship, which they tragically lose when Leo’s life is abruptly upended.
A seemingly uncomplicated tale will, in keeping with the studio’s unique approach, develop in personal and moving ways. The story of a male friendship that crumbles under the weight of coming of age and personal growth is right in A24’s reliable wheelhouse, and it makes sense that the company would want to release the film around awards season. Close was written by Angelo Tijssens and Dhont, who previously wrote Girl, although it’s not clear if the story is autobiographical or not, especially when it comes to the protagonist’s formative and life-altering epiphanies.
The young director has already built an early career based on isolated character studies that explore the complicated emotional inner-workings of developing personalities, and this latest movie was even more well-received than his first effort, suggesting that he’s only continuing to find his stride as a filmmaker. It will remain to be seen how this movie will be greeted upon its US release, but considering A24’s history of driving sincere indies to a large audience, we can optimistically expect another coming-of-age victory. Since Close is still making the rounds at film festivals, we can probably expect to learn more about its release date in the near future.