Close (2019) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story takes place across several international locations, beginning with a mission in South Sudan before moving to Morocco's fortified kasbah and the cities of Casablanca and Tangier. The action then shifts to Zambia for the mining deal that drives the corporate stakes. Morocco serves as the primary setting for most of the film, with its kasbah providing a high-security backdrop for a siege sequence.

• morocco
• casablanca
• tangier
• south sudan
• zambia
• setting
• locations
• africa

The movie is set in the present day, though no specific year is mentioned. The modern setting is indicated by the corporate mining deal, contemporary security operations, and the type of technology and tactics used by the protection team.

• time period
• modern
• contemporary
• present day
• era

The film centers on protection as its core theme, focusing on Sam Carlson, a close protection officer tasked with guarding young heiress Zoe Tanner. The narrative explores her ability to shield Zoe under extreme threat, improvising under pressure and making difficult moral choices. Sam's backstory of having given up a child for adoption at age 16 adds emotional depth and informs her intense protective drive toward Zoe.

• protection
• bodyguard
• sam carlson
• zoe tanner
• theme
• survival

Hassine Mining's billion-dollar phosphate deal serves as the engine of the plot, highlighting corporate ambition and the ethics of doing business in volatile regions. Rima Hassine, the CEO and Zoe's stepmother, navigates pressure and blackmail while trying to secure her family's legacy. The story critiques greed and shows how corporate interests become entangled with violence and political intrigue.

• corporate
• mining
• power
• business
• rima hassine
• hassine mining
• deal

Zoe Tanner's inheritance and her fraught relationship with her stepmother Rima Hassine propel the personal stakes of the conflict. The family tension stems from Eric Tanner's death, Zoe's access to his shares, and Rima's grip on the company. This struggle for control over the family business directly threatens the safety of everyone around them.

• family
• stepmother
• inheritance
• zoe tanner
• rima hassine
• conflict
• shares

The movie repeatedly blurs lines between lawful authority and criminal coercion, forcing characters to improvise for survival. Both security teams and police are compromised, with corruption infiltrating even trusted protection networks. The escalating violence tests the limits of trust among allies, making every relationship potentially dangerous.

• conflict
• corruption
• trust
• police
• security
• betrayal
• thriller

Sam Carlson is a highly capable close protection officer played by Noomi Rapace. She is assigned to guard Zoe Tanner throughout the dangerous cross-border crisis. Known for remaining cool under pressure, she improvises to outmaneuver attackers while navigating her complicated past with former lover Conall Sinclair. Her backstory of having placed a child for adoption at 16 adds emotional depth to her protective instincts.

• sam carlson
• noomi rapace
• bodyguard
• protector
• character
• close protection

Zoe Tanner is the troubled heir to Hassine Mining who inherits her father's shares and becomes a target. She possesses sharp will and street-smart skills, including Arabic language abilities that help them navigate Casablanca. Her combination of fear, grit, and cunning makes her a resilient character rather than just a passive victim to be protected.

• zoe tanner
• heiress
• target
• character
• hassine mining
• sophie nélisse

Rima Hassine is the CEO of Hassine Mining and Zoe's stepmother, driving the family's corporate ambitions. She negotiates the billion-dollar phosphate deal while contending with threats and blackmail from business rival Sikong. She operates in a world of corporate pressure and police corruption, revealing her as a complex character who is both a combatant and a stakeholder in the company's fate.

• rima hassine
• ceo
• stepmother
• indira varma
• hassine mining
• corporate

Conall Sinclair is Sam Carlson's boss and former lover, a seasoned security specialist who helps coordinate their escape plan. He accompanies Zoe and Sam, offering tactical expertise and expertise. His relationship with Sam adds personal stakes to the mission, and his fate significantly impacts the story's tension.

• conall sinclair
• eoin macken
• security
• boss
• former lover
• character

The fortified kasbah in Morocco serves as a critical high-security location where Sam and Zoe seek refuge. It represents a place of supposed safety that becomes vulnerable to attack, demonstrating the movie's theme that nowhere is truly secure. The siege at the kasbah highlights the human cost of protection when security is breached.

• kasbah
• safehouse
• siege
• morocco
• security
• setting
• protection

The film features a fast-paced, tense tone with constant life-or-death stakes and ever-present threat of betrayal. The narrative combines high-stakes action sequences with moderate corporate intrigue, making survival the central goal. While there are serious themes of loss and emotional reveals about Sam's past, the primary focus remains on the physical survival thriller with a happy resolution.

• tone
• style
• action
• thriller
• pacing
• intensity
• fast-paced