The Room Next Door
By Charlotte Stace
La Filmoteca offers three screenings of Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature, The Room Next Door (2024). Starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, the film critic Monica Castillo declared it "a heartfelt meditation on friendship, grief, and death".
The film brings together two former friends - Ingrid, a novelist, and Martha, a war correspondent. After years apart, they reunite in the midst of Martha’s terminal illness, embarking on an emotional journey that leads to Martha's plan to end her life on her own terms. Despite the heavy subject, Almodóvar infuses the story with his trademark visual flair, using vibrant production design, a haunting score, and light humour to explore mortality.
It’s been met with critical acclaim across the board, winning three Goyas (Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score) at the 39th Goya Awards. If you missed it on the big screen the first time around, now’s your chance.