Close-Up Culture

Independent journalism on the things we love

The Substance Themed Watch Party

I recently got together with a group of people to watch The Substance. If you know me, you know I love a theme, so decided that The Substance would also be the theme for the snacks too. If you’re wanting to do the same, below is what I did to hopefully inspire you! For the snacks, I focused on gummy…
Liked The Substance? Here’s What to Watch Next

Since seeing it on the big screen, I’ve not been able to get The Substance out of my mind. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are phenomenal in this brightly saturated, satirical body horror from the mind of Carolie Fargeat. Whether you enjoyed the gore, the underlying messages, the gorgeous prop design or all the above, below are a few films that have…
The Beauty Problem – Film Review

In Zara Woolf’s latest production, she tackles something fictional characters have faced through her short films, and that’s how women are often only looked at through their beauty or society’s opinion on their lack of. The Beauty Problem is a short documentary that combines the personal stories of a group of women working in the creative industries…
What are the Best Episodes of Inside No.9?

One of my favourite TV shows from the last few years has been Inside No. 9. I’m lucky enough to say I’ve watched it from the start, I saw the ‘Dead Line’ episode live, and I got to see show writers and creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith in the flesh when they released their Insider’s…
Writer & Director Tomás Ferreira Talks Short Film In a House, At Night

Available to watch from today, In a House, At Night follows 7-year-old Lynn who leaves her mother after a tantrum and wanders the corridors of the women’s shelter where they’re living, coming face to face with the residents’ nightmares. After reviewing the short, Anna was able to ask writer & director Tomás Ferreira more about his creative process. Hi Tomás, thanks for joining us on…
In A House, At Night – Short Film Review

In a women’s shelter, 7-year-old Lynn leaves her mother after a tantrum, and wanders the corridors, coming face to face with the residents’ nightmares. No matter how old you are, when the lights are off, the monsters come out. In this short film, written and directed by Tomás Ferreira, even with the lights on, we encounter scary things that we can’t control…
Love Steps – Theatre Review

What is love? And what are our expectations of it in the 21st century? Love Steps, written and directed by Anastasia Osei-Kuffour, is a beautiful portrait showcasing the chapters we go through when dating in modern society. In Osei-Kuffour’s debut play, pressures of significant others and personal identity are wonderfully captured and told within every aspect. Through poetry, monologues, even music,…
What To See From BFI Flare 2024

Whether you attended the festival in person, watched the brilliant shorts available online, or missed it totally, I wanted to share with you some of the films I got to see as part of the 2024 edition of the BFI Flare Festival that I think you should watch! The Summer with Carmen A seductive and smart…
Journeys Of Love In Film

I was recently asked to think about the topic ‘Journeys of Love’ in relation to films. My mind instantly went to stories like Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet and Steven McQueen’s Lovers Rock, but then I watched Carol Morley’s Typist Artist Pirate King, and something clicked. Like with any journey, physical or metaphorical, it’s often easiest to focus on the destination.…
Robot Dreams – Film Review

A 2024 Academy Award for Best Animation Feature nominee, Robot Dreams is a sweet and heartfelt film that follows a dog who lives alone in 1980s New York, who decides to build himself a robot friend. From the trailer, I didn’t know how writer and director Pablo Berger would keep us entertained for the feature runtime. The story…