The Room Next Door

Successful writer "Ingrid" (Julianne Moore) is signing some books when one of her friends informs her that old pal "Martha" (Tilda Swinton) is suffering from cancer. Upon visiting her in hospital, she discovers that things aren't looking so good and over the following days the two start to become closer, sharing confidences and becoming quite inter-reliant. When an experimental treatment fails to deliver, the former war reporter "Martha" makes quite a bold proposal to her friend that will require them to retreat to a quiet residence in Woodstock where she will take matters into her own hands. ...

Bold as always, Spanish master Pedro Almodóvar elegantly tackles the touchiest of subjects for his first English-language feature. And it's a film that could change your mind about euthanasia.

_The Room Next Door_ peels back the very layered onion of the right-to-die movement with an emotional heartbeat that’s truly rewarding to watch. It’s strong, yet wonderfully nuanced; it features two sublime actresses at the very top of their game; and – dare we say it – this so-called tragic drama even has its laugh out loud moments.

If this were another drama (or a Hollywood weepie), you...

To live or to die is a decision many of us are probably reluctant to address. The fear of this great unknown is enough to keep the notion at bay. But what if we were to find ourselves dealing with a terminal illness with little hope for the future? Would we be willing to nobly soldier on, knowing that our circumstances are only going to get worse, or would we choose to transition to what’s next on our own time and under our own terms? Such is the scenario involving two old friends, Martha (Tilda Swinton), a former war correspondent who has lived a rich, full life but is now afflicted with te...

**The Room Next Door (2024)**

_Directed by Pedro Almodóvar_

This may be the first Pedro Almodóvar film that really disappointed me. Not because it's badly made, Almodóvar doesn't know how to make an ugly film, and The Room Next Door has his usual rich visuals, the gorgeous color palette, the meticulous design. But on the whole, it lacked the probing emotional intensity we associate with him. For a director who built his reputation on raw feeling, on characters whose emotions spill out messy and uncontained, this felt restrained to the point of distance.

The film follows Ingrid (Jul...