Synopsis & Plot
Close centers on Sam Carlson, a former soldier now working as an elite female bodyguard. The opening scene drops her into a tense pocket of South Sudan, where she safeguards a group of journalists suddenly caught in gunfire. With calm precision, Sam disables the attackers and whisks her clients to safety, instantly earning a reputation as one of the best in the business.
Back in a calmer city, Sam accepts a new assignment: protect Zoe Tanner, an anxious teenager who now owns her late fathers mining shares. The windfall sparks envy in Zoes stepmother Rima Hassine, who is neck-deep in a multibillion-dollar phosphate deal in Morocco.
While the family vacations at their heavily fortified kasbah, armed intruders smash through the security walls. Sam and Zoe slip away from the first wave, only to be sold out by the very police patrolling the estate. Trapped in a deadly scramble across Casablanca, they dodge gunmen and crooked officials through narrow alleys, commandeering police vehicles and trusting only each other to survive.
Sam is joined by Conall, his former commander and secret lover, as the three push toward the nearest outpost. Their escape falters when an ambush claims Conall, forcing Sam and Zoe to face the danger alone. They soon piece together the truth: officers on Rimas payroll staged the assault to wreck the mining deal.
In the climax, the pair tracks evidence to a hidden marina and corners one dirty cop. A brutal fight with bare fists and a fishing harpoon ends when Sam pins him and learns he disabled Rimas alarms. The full story then breaks: Rima was extorted by rival Sikong, not the mastermind behind the murder.
Back at Rimas estate, Zoe and Sam battle hired guns and rogue enforcers. Sam takes a wound yet manages to expose every traitor. With the danger cut down-and a fragile trust born-Zoe asks Sam to contact her daughter, a promise tinged with Sams own lost motherhood.
🎭 Cast & Characters
Noomi Rapace as Sam Carlson: A gritty protector whose steel nerves waver whenever she must shield someone young and untested.
Sophie Nélisse as Zoe Tanner: the teen heiress combines fragility with determination, making her feel like a real girl caught in extraordinary trouble instead of some clichd Damsel in Distress.
Indira Varma as Rima Hassine: a driven stepmother-CEO whose stiff bravado hides the double weight of board-room betrayals and personal fear.
Eoin Macken as Conall Sinclair: loyal friend, former lover, and ever-present boss to Sam; his sudden absence deepens both plot and spectators hearts.
Akin Gazi as Alik, Mansour Badri as Damari, plus several others flesh out a tight net of bodyguards, officers, and hired guns, each playing his part in the tense security ballet.
Directed and co-written by Vicky Jewson, Close takes notes from veteran protector Jacquie Davis, whose celebrity clients include everyone from pop stars to
royalty. Crews moved between the UK and Morocco, capturing gritty street scenes in London, Casablanca, and Marrakesh. Shooting started in August 2017, and Netflix snatched worldwide rights, streaming the film in early 2019.
Close puts a woman behind the gun in a dusty genre usually reserved for men, then dares to show her training fatigue, mid-shift doubt, and real pain. Sam is tactical, layered, and rarely shows superhuman strength, so viewers can believe she might exist off-screen.
Corruption & Power
The project puts systemic corruption under the lens, exposing how business leaders and police units bend rules for private gain. Zoe’s sudden fortune sparks a greed-fueled conspiracy that crashes power with innocence, forcing everyone to pick sides.
Maternal Loss & Protection
Sam’s arc moves through grief, each setback deepening her sense of loss. Her protective urge toward Zoe surfaces slowly, anchored in old trauma, and turns their bond from guardian and charge into a fragile mother-daughter link.
Action & Cinematography
The film offers unslick, hard-biting fight sequences. Instead of flashy martial arts, each scramble feels tactical and frantic, true to a main character honed by military drills and harsh outdoor living.
Cinematography strips the North African backdrop to its bare grit. Cramped rooms, sun-blasted lanes, and crowded souks pull viewers into a world where calm can vanish in a heartbeat. Handheld shots bathe every exchange in a jittery sense of threat.
Reception
Critical Response
Reviewers singled out Noomi Rapaces fierce turn and praised the films tight, no-frills action. Many admired the rising tension and bold themes, though some viewers argued the storyline slid into predictability and the emotional beats needed further shading.
Some critics agreed that Close provides an energizing, woman-driven lens, yet noted it occasionally relies on familiar action-thriller clichés and treats certain cultural elements too lightly.
📊 Audience Feedback
General viewers applauded the films grounded atmosphere and Rapaces intense commitment, describing her performance as the beating heart of the piece. Many also enjoyed the brisk editing, calling the mix of nail-biting suspense, hard-hitting fights, and quiet emotional moments unusually well balanced. The mother-daughter bond between Sam and Zoe surfaced frequently in comments, with many singling it out as the element that made the story feel personal rather than mechanical.
Netflix subscribers above all welcomed a thoughtful thriller after months of bombastic franchise spectacles, although casual watchers used to glossier productions sometimes found the films raw, low-budget texture a little jarring.
📈 Verdict
Close ultimately emerges as a tightly woven, realistic thriller fronted by strong women, resting upon Noomi Rapaces commanding turn and a unflinching portrayal of violence and betrayal. The evolving bond between Sam and Zoe lends the high-stakes plot real emotional heft, while Moroccos sun-bleached streets supply an arresting yet believable backdrop.
Though a mildly predictable climax and missed chances for richer character arcs keep it from greatness, Close remains a solid, entertaining addition to the action-thriller shelf.
Close joins the expanding parade of women-fronted action features, and its presence is heartily welcomed. The picture avoids showy camera tricks or excessive polish; instead, it plays out in pragmatic, taut sequences that carry real emotional weight. Within that firm framework, the story explores grief, guardianship, and redemption, all while sustaining tight suspense and allowing its characters to evolve convincingly.
Anyone who enjoys brisk thrillers, survival scenarios, or authentic fight choreography-especially when a determined woman leads the way-will find Close rewarding. Its down-to-earth action and intimate stakes remind us that keeping someone safe often relies less on firepower and more on courage, empathy, and facing the shadows of ones own history.
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