Movie Review: Almodovar Toys With Cinema Once Again in 'The Room Next Door'

The Room Next Door

Directed by Pedro Almodovar

Written by Pedro Almodovar

Starring Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton

Release Date October 2024

Published January 12th, 2024

The Room Next Door stars Julianne Moore as Ingrid, an author who specializes in writing creative non-fiction, real people and settings with fictional elements to fill in the gaps in the stories. This was not her first profession however, she was once a journalist, trotting around the globe alongside her colleague and friend, Martha (Tilda Swinton). Changes in professions and priorities led their lives down such different paths that they now go years without seeing or speaking to each other.

Thus it is something of a surprise when Martha reaches out to Ingrid to reconnect. It’s especially surprising when Ingrid learns why her friend is so eager to reconnect. Martha is dying. She doesn’t have much time left. Rather than wait to become dependent on doctors, nurses, or machines, to keep her alive, Martha has obtained the means to end her life on her own terms. All that she wants is someone nearby who cares about her. Having approached other friends who rebuffed the idea, Ingrid was not her first choice but became her best choice.

After some cajoling and friendly reminiscing, Ingrid agrees not to help Martha take her life, but to be with her in the final days. The plan is for the two to travel to a remote cabin, spend a few more days enjoying life, and, without telling Ingrid, Martha will take her medicine and end her life in a peaceful slumber. Ingrid not knowing exactly when Martha is going to go through with her end of life plan is important as it provides an alibi in case anyone accuses her of helping Martha commit suicide.

But, that’s just the surface of The Room Next Door. The richness of the story comes from writer-director Pedro Almodovar’s intricate weaving of character and story details that coalesce to bring complexity beyond the mere presentation of a plot. I intentionally chose to open my review by talking about Ingrid’s work as a writer of creative nonfiction. In her friend, Martha, who was a war correspondent with a wide breadth of real stories from real conflicts, Ingrid can see both a friend she cares about and supports and a subject for an amazing book.

At first, we can’t help but question what would motivate Ingrid to want to take part in Martha’s plan. Is she being a supportive friend? Or, does she have designs on getting Martha to open up and reminisce about her story as a journalist and the stories she covered to remarkable acclaim? But, this is Pedro Almodovar, so this is not that simple. Almodovar uses Ingrid as a vehicle to toy with how he’s telling this story. Are we getting the real story of Martha’s final days or Ingrid’s creative retelling of this real life event? Almodovar is toying with us and how we perceive movies and stories. Is what you are watching real or not within the established realty of the movie? Does this make the emotional impact of Martha’s story any less impactful? That’s for you to decide as an audience member.

This approach will not appeal to many of you and I completely understand your frustration. Nevertheless, as Almodovar brings his story to a close with an unexpected arrival and a warm coda, I was won over by the idea that perhaps Ingrid is the one putting a nice bow on this story rather than taking us through the actual heartache and sadness that comes with the end of a life. The potential falseness of the ending of The Room Next Door actually deepens the story, for me, and makes me think hard about the ways in which popular culture likes to feed us comforting lies. Then again, Almodovar may be delivering a completely earnest film and I am merely seeing what I want to see. But there, again, is Almodovar cheekily forcing us to participate and consider his motives and thus his movie even more. I love it.

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