The Room Next Door is Pedro Almodóvar’s first feature-length foray into English-language cinema. He previously planned to direct one a few years ago, but bowed out seemingly due to a lack of confidence in directing an English film of such magnitude. After seeing The Room Next Door, I can understand why. A lot of the dialogue feels stilted and awkward. Admittedly, some of this feels intentional, as there is clear uneasiness created by Martha’s (Tilda Swinton) request to Ingrid (Julianne Moore) that is ripe to be exploited. Yet nevertheless, it is evident he is a much better director in Spanish than he is outside of his native language. 

However, I was able to get used to it in the end. Indeed, if you are able to get past the strangeness of the dialogue, there is a heartfelt story that is easy to get invested in. The characters and their motivations still felt real and sincere to me, which is more important than anything else. I fully bought into Martha and Ingrid’s relationship; the pain of having to face the death of a friend with no alternative outcomes and the steadfast insistence on not just dying, but dying with a loved one terrified of the prospect felt heartbreakingly genuine. The themes and performances were still able to resonate with me in spite of the dialogue issues. There are some moments of tenderness between the two leads that I just adored. Swinton and especially Moore knock it out of the park.

The Room Next Door also has plenty of Almodóvar trademarks: colourful sets, an earworm of a score by longtime contributor Alberto Iglesias, and gentle direction that highlights the actors and their performances in the kind of intimate way he understands best. It’s a directorial feat that adds a lot to the atmosphere of what would otherwise be a fairly simple story. 

Even if it’s one of his weaker outings, it’s unmistakably an Almodóvar film. I don’t think it’s saying anything radical about the topic of euthanasia, nor does it want to or even really need to. It begins with Martha already having accepted death with no real chance of changing her mind, it’s just interesting to see the way the two leads navigate and process their own respective feelings on it. Despite such a dour premise, the movie ends on a beautifully optimistic note. Death is something we will all succumb to eventually, so if it is your time to go, it is not defeatist to choose to die with people who care and love for you symbolically by your side. 

7/10