Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
After being released from a mental hospital, a troubled young man tracks down an actress he once had sex with and forces her into captivity, determined to make her part of his life.
Almodóvar's provocative romantic thriller subverts genre expectations with darkly comic undertones and bold tonal shifts. Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril deliver committed, charismatic performances that carry the film's controversial Stockholm syndrome premise. The cinematography is stylish but not among Almodóvar's most visually inventive work. Its novelty is high — the film's audacious premise and Almodóvar's singular voice make it unmistakably distinctive, blending transgression with genuine romantic feeling in a way few directors could attempt. The ending, however, feels unearned and morally pat, resolving the captivity narrative too neatly given the disturbing dynamics established throughout.