disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

[SXSW 2023] THIS CLOSENESS -- A Lovably Awkward Indie Dramedy

3/10/2023

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Kit Zahuar’s Actual People was one of the finest indie hidden gems of the last year, so her follow-up — This Closeness — was an exciting prospect. Zahuar managed to top herself, making a film that’s even more personal and awkwardly funny than her last.

The movie follows a young couple who check into a New York City AirBnB, where they begin to clash personalities with their unusual host. It’s a premise that sounds like it could be a great setup for a horror movie, but what we get instead is a restrained, talky, and slightly quirky indie dramedy.

One of the core characteristics of Zahuar’s films is the use of cringe comedy. There’s a tension in the movie that continues escalating until it comes to a head in one of the most hilariously awkward third acts you will see in any film this year. And yet, even though the movie is quite uncomfortable, it never sacrifices its feeling of realism.

Zahuar's work can almost be described like a mumblecore cousin to Cooper Raiff’s films. Like Raiff, Zahuar has an uncanny finger on the zeitgeist of what it means to be on the cusp of the millennial and Gen Z generations. The topics and discussions had in the movie will be intensely relatable to younger viewers.

Zahuar also utilizes character development in a thought-provoking way. The characters are all extremely flawed and often even frustrating, but that is a big part of what makes them charming. The dynamic between the three characters is also very compelling, and Zahuar expands upon it in interesting ways.

The lead couple — Zane Pais and Zahuar — have very solid chemistry together, with a dynamic that is believably at odds with each other. However, the real shining star of the film is Ian Edlund, who gives a lovably (and occasionally hilariously) askew performance as the socially awkward third wheel.

The technical aspects of the movie are also really strong, especially the portions focusing on the protagonist’s creation of ASMR videos. Although the use of sound is more gimmicky than functional, it’s quite effective. Otherwise, the movie is relatively straightforward and confined given that it is entirely set within the one apartment.

This Closeness is a film that is made by one of the most exciting young filmmakers working today. It’s a personal, quirky indie the likes of which we don’t see nearly enough these days, and it will be exciting to see what Kit Zahuar does next.


This Closeness is screening at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 10-18 in Austin, TX.

Rating: 4.5/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Dan Skip Allen
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About