Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Ingrid and Martha were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.
Almodóvar's first English-language feature is a visually sumptuous meditation on death, friendship, and meaning, anchored by two towering performances from Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. The cinematography is characteristically Almodóvar-lush — saturated palettes, precise compositions — elevated further by a shift to New York interiors and upstate landscapes. The acting is the film's unambiguous strength: both leads bring enormous emotional intelligence to roles that risk sentimentality. The plot, adapted from Sigrid Nunez, is thoughtful but somewhat static — a series of conversations and recollections rather than a propulsive narrative — and the philosophical dialogue occasionally tips into didacticism. Novelty is modest: euthanasia and female friendship in the face of mortality are well-trodden territory, and while Almodóvar's sensibility is unmistakable, the English-language context slightly dilutes his singular voice. The ending is the weakest element — it resolves the emotional arc somewhat abruptly and leans on a convenient narrative device (the titular room next door) that, by the close, feels a touch too schematic and emotionally distanced to fully land.