Manchester by the Sea
2016USA★ 7.65 pt match
Both films sit with grief, guilt, and loss of innocence. They share the same lens on family duty and family wounds passed down. The feel is the same: bleak, melancholic, slow burn, and methodical.
Close
2022FranceLanguage: frDirected by Lukas Dhont★ 7.8
Available in English: subtitled
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.
Themes and style
Tone
melancholichauntingquietly devastatingbleak
Pacing
slow burnmethodical
Story
unraveling
Emotion
griefguiltloss of innocenceshamelongingfiguring out who you are
Themes
men and women navigating expectationsfamily wounds passed downfamily duty
Feel
emotionally wreckingquietly hauntinggut punchdiscussion starter
Violence
suggestiveWhere to watch
Hollywood films like Close
If Close hit you the right way, here are Hollywood films that share its DNA. Same emotional weight, same kind of stories, same kind of payoff.
The Whale
2022USA★ 7.83.5 pt match
What ties these together is guilt, grief, and shame. The world both films live in revolves around family duty and family wounds passed down. Same energy: bleak, melancholic, slow burn, and methodical.