4 Stars

It’s an inevitable, perhaps an expected decision, but it was only a matter of time before the great Pedro Almodóvar would follow suit and pivot towards his first American film just as so many renowned international filmmakers do. Furthermore, it’s an adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s American Novel What Are You Going Through? It’s certainly an unusual creative choice for Almodóvar, and not every foreign director is able to pull off a successful film when they switch countries, but Almodóvar’s astute direction and affecting performances make his first English-language venture titled The Room Next Door an enthralling experience.

The film is about two estranged close friends who reconnect years later. The film opens with Ingrid (Julianne Moore), a magazine columnist and author who is signing her latest published novel to readers at a local bookstore in Manhattan. After years of being out of touch, she encounters Martha (Tilda Swinton). They reunite, enjoying lunches toghter, watching movies at Lincoln Center (which was as I saw this at Lincoln Center at NYFF), go to parks, and visit each other’s glorious New York apartments.

They contemplate life, their past regrets, their writing careers, and their failed recent romances. Martha eventually discloses that she has terminal cervical cancer. Martha kindly asks Ingrid if she can be there for her in her final days before she passes, but she doesn’t want to spend her last days in pain, and she wants to have a painless, calm death at a vacation home in upper New York. It puts Ingrid in a very unusual situation, but it allows Ingrid to cogitate about ethics and choice and knowing that her close friend should have the choice in how they die.

The Room Next Door

Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics 

Ingrid gets a hold of her ex-husband, Damien (John Turturro), for advice, and he recommends that she contact a lawyer he knows for legal advice. Martha’s health begins to slowly regress, and with sympathy, Ingrid agrees to assist Martha’s wishes. It’s not so much about assisting her death. Martha has bought her own high dose of pills for when she is ready to go. She just wants someone to accompany her in her peaceful final days, so she doesn’t die in complete solitude. Ingrid is very conflicted about the situation, and she is saddened that her friend will be dying soon. Meanwhile, the two women travel to upper state New York. The film ends up becoming more of a meditation on friendship, as both women go to bookstores, enjoy great meals, and watch old movies, and their friendship grows deeper. The film explores how far one would go to carry out one’s final wishes.

A compelling film about friendship, bond, closure, the importance of relationships, and the boundaries between life and death has been explored to great effect before by Almodóvar. As always, it still feels refreshing as Almodóvar finds warmth and hope in his storytelling. Of course, Almodóvar’s ravishing compositions still flourish with rich colors and decor thanks to cinematographer Eduard Grau. Frequent Almodóvar composer Alberto Iglesias once again resonates with great ferocity in his haunting score. the film also serves as a metaphor about the uncertainties of our modern world. You can see Almodovar channel his inner Ingmar Bergman here, and the outcome is luminous and elating. Having indie queens Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton is a dream team that’s long past due. Their onscreen exchanges are radiant just as you would anticipate. As always, Almodóvar’s film runs deep. It offers a sense of catharsis about friendship and mortality, and it never feels forced as two close friends deal with death and the difficult challenges of moving onto the final phases of life.

It’s a strong relief that Almodóvar holds great confidence in foreign soil with his female American characters just as he does in his homeland of Spain. Like Almodóvar’s previous film, Parallel Mothers, this one is about female bonds, but it’s platonic instead of romantic, which allows for more bittersweet moments. The film holds a lot of compassion as well, and this is Almodóvar’s finest since his 2002 masterpiece, Talk to Her. The movie is witty and very sharp, melancholy in a way, and so liberating that it will leave your heart and mind deeply moved.

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR is now playing in limited theaters. It opens wider on Friday, January 17th, 2025, including screenings in Metro Detroit.