Close Your Eyes

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Close Your Eyes

Released Aug 23, 2024

2h 49m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

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74 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Set in contemporary Madrid, an aging filmmaker named Miguel Garay is called upon to recount his memories of working on his final and still unfinished film, "The Farewell Gaze." During its production, the lead actor and Miguel's close friend, Julio Arenas, disappeared without a trace, leaving in his wake a mystery that would haunt the lives of everyone associated with the film. Miguel never directed another project, instead living a quiet life as a writer by the coast. He remained reluctant to unravel the mystery surrounding Julio until approached by an investigative television program reviving the case decades later. With careful reflection, he reconnects with the film's crew, former lovers, and Julio's daughter, seeking closure for the disappearance and what it meant for all of their lives.

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Critics Consensus

A near-masterpiece for director/co-writer Victor Erice, Close Your Eyes ends his long gap between films with a moving meditation on memory, identity, and cinema itself.

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Jacob Oller

AV Club

Movies and mortality are linked throughout the engrossing three-hour drama.

Rated: B+

Oct 25, 2024

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

“Close Your Eyes” is a sad, delicate, powerful and beautiful gift to film fans.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 12, 2024

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Glenn Kenny

RogerEbert.com

The searching of a now-84-year-old maestro of cinema is exquisitely moving and speaks with an urgency that isn’t at all undermined by the films languid pace.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 27, 2024

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Cameron Ritter

Geek Vibes Nation

Close Your Eyes is a surprisingly effective film that explores how art and life are intertwined, no matter how long it’s been since we last engaged with it. It will reinvigorate your love of cinema and how necessary it can be for the world.

Rated: 9/10

Jul 20, 2025

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David Bax

Battleship Pretension

The presentation of Close Your Eyes is gargantuanly filmic.

May 16, 2025

Full Review

Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

Close Your Eyes is exactly what I’d hoped for, which is to say, it left me nearly speechless.

Apr 17, 2025

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Alec B

The movie meanders, sometimes in interesting ways and other times in ways that are frustrating, but its never boring. If you can stick it out, the ending is rewarding.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/25

Full Review

Jake H

This really is an epic masterpiece. A plot within a plot within a life story. Beautifully filmed; some very (but not too) long scenes that would also work on stage, which are absorbing and immersive. And a storyline which might be a rollercoaster if compressed into an average-length film, but is instead a bumpy ride. I'm a perfectionist. I know it when I see it. This is it. Worth waiting for.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/12/24

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TurnipDude87 C

An incredible film. A must-see and one of the best films I have watched in years.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/01/24

Full Review

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Víctor Erice

Director

Manolo Solo

Miguel Garay

José Coronado

Gardel

Ana Torrent

Ana Arenas

Petra Martínez

Sor Consuelo

María León

Belén Granados

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Close Your Eyes: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Set in contemporary Madrid, an aging filmmaker named Miguel Garay is called upon to recount his memories of working on his final and still unfinished film, "The Farewell Gaze." During its production, the lead actor and Miguel's close friend, Julio Arenas, disappeared without a trace, leaving in his wake a mystery that would haunt the lives of everyone associated with the film. Miguel never directed another project, instead living a quiet life as a writer by the coast. He remained reluctant to unravel the mystery surrounding Julio until approached by an investigative television program reviving the case decades later. With careful reflection, he reconnects with the film's crew, former lovers, and Julio's daughter, seeking closure for the disappearance and what it meant for all of their lives.

Director: Víctor Erice
Screenwriter: Víctor Erice, Michel Gaztambide, Víctor Erice, Michel Gaztambide, José Alba
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: Tandem Films, Nautilusfilm
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 23, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 3, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $44.1K
Runtime: 2h 49m

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