Julianne Moore

Tilda Swinton

John Turturro

Alessandro Nivola

Juan Diego Botto

Raúl Arévalo

Victoria Luengo

Alex Høgh Andersen

Esther-Rose McGregor

Alvise Rigo

Melina Matthews

Sarah Demeestere

Anh Duong

Bobbi Salvör Menuez

Annika Wahlsten

Shane Woodward

Paolo Luka Noé

Cristina Kovani

Nya Bowman

Dora Rowdon

Viktor Longo

Antonios Antoniadis

Celia Rocha

Kyla Thomas

Toon De Melker

Ira Gramerman

Tom Johnson

Alberto Iglesias

Teresa Font

Bina Daigeler

Pedro Almodóvar

Inbal Weinberg

Manolo García

Pablo Buratti

Marc Piera

Elsa Moya Vela

Raül Margalló

Bogdana Orleanova

Ángel Martín-Álvarez

Igor Iglesias

Salome Oggenfuss

Miguel López Langa

Morag Ross

Daniel Maldonado

Jason Jaeger

Ana García de Salazar

Sergio Morilla

Eudald Magri

Rubén Martín García

Yuyi Beringola

Guillermo Vazquez

José Luis Rodríguez

Bridget Dennin

Pepe Gay de Liébana

Iker Elias

Chije Kang

Natalie Arango

Mario Martínez Duque

Nico P. Pampín

Ana Portela Rodríguez

Zack Sainz

Angie Johnson

Jordi Carrasco Fraile

Javier Laporta

Juanjo Sánchez

Fabian A. Martinez

Adam Moore

Danielle Mandel

Male Menéndez

Uxue Laguardia

Esther Liébana

Bayley Sweitzer

Iván Armesto

Geoffrey Jean-Baptiste

Gerard Gavaldà

Geraldine Barón

Luis Ruiz Arce

Rachel Fedorkova

Jerad Molkenthin

David Stern

Eduardo García Alonso

Manolo Gago

Basilio Rodríguez

Fiorella Aller

Juan Ugarriza

Matthew H. Wiesner

Sigrid Nunez

Sergio Burmann

Nacho Cordón

Marc Gonell

Anna Harrington

Gustavo Suárez Lendoiro

Alejandro López

Marc Orts

Quim Reig

Juan Rubio Morales

Rubén Segura

César Abades

Diego Álvarez

Oihane Abrisqueta Díaz

David Collantes Rodríguez

Lara de Gracia

Ana Belén Martín

Rafael Ayuso

Chema Alba

Steve Grivno

Abigail Heckel

James Kenny

Taylor Bingham

Danny Fey

Lauren Franco

Beatrix Herriott O'Gorman

Patricia Martín-Leyes

Alanna O'Leary

Jessica Pochek

Molly Wigglesworth

Damián Galán Álvarez

Ana Martínez Fernández

Júlia Marcos Lázaro

Kyle James Wright

Gador Camacho

Luisella Fiorella

César Pardiñas

Selmo del Campo

Eduard Grau

Kendall Anderson

Carlota Casado

Drama

La habitación de al lado

El Deseo

Spain

English

The Room Next Door

new york city

suicide

based on novel or book

nihilism

war correspondent

female friendship

woodstock, new york

bosnian war (1992-95)

bereavement

cancer

writer

novelist

dual role

existentialism

euthanasia

terminal cancer

estranged daughter

autofiction

intense

anecdote

CinemaSerf

Successful writer "Ingrid" (Julianne Moore) is signing some books when one of her friends informs her that old pal "Martha" (Tilda Swinton) is suffering from cancer. Upon visiting her in hospital, she discovers that things aren't looking so good and over the following days the two start to become closer, sharing confidences and becoming quite inter-reliant. When an experimental treatment fails to deliver, the former war reporter "Martha" makes quite a bold proposal to her friend that will require them to retreat to a quiet residence in Woodstock where she will take matters into her own hands. Initially quite wary of this plan, "Ingrid" must decide whether or not she wishes to help - with all the moral and legal ramifications that involves, and so she turns to both of these women's ex-boyfriend "Damian" (John Turturro) for advice as she wrestles with her conscience. The concept here is really quite poignant, especially in light of reinvigorated conversations here in the UK about the rights of the terminally ill to make their own choices without fear of those they leave behind being persecuted by either the law or the zealous but I can't say I loved the presentation or the style. Far too much of the dialogue between the two women seems more aimed at filling-in the audience rather than on building a rapport between them. Things that they would have to have known about the other are presented in all too sterile a fashion, and at times I wondered if there wasn't a fair degree of dubbing going on too. Indeed, the whole thing deals with some seriously emotional issues in a remarkably sterile fashion. Both actors deliver strongly, but their dynamic isn't convincing - well, it wasn't for me, and the surfeit of verbiage rather suffocated the emotional impact the film could have made. Alex Høgh Andersen sheds his Viking leathers to remind us briefly of the ghastliness of the Vietnam war but otherwise this is largely down to the two characters dealing with a scenario we all dread, just not terribly convincingly.

Bold as always, Spanish master Pedro Almodóvar elegantly tackles the touchiest of subjects for his first English-language feature. And it's a film that could change your mind about euthanasia.

_The Room Next Door_ peels back the very layered onion of the right-to-die movement with an emotional heartbeat that’s truly rewarding to watch. It’s strong, yet wonderfully nuanced; it features two sublime actresses at the very top of their game; and – dare we say it – this so-called tragic drama even has its laugh out loud moments. 

If this were another drama (or a Hollywood weepie), you might expect Ingrid to plead with Martha to reconsider. Instead, Almodóvar introduces far more interesting thought bubbles. When they begin to have minor disagreements, it feels like small scabs being picked off a much bigger wound. There’s a shadow living with them – an elephant in the room next door, lying in wait to land a crushing blow.

_The Room Next Door_’s final act is a thought-provoking look at the right to die, and the uneasy ways this moral argument grinds its cogs alongside the laws we’ve created. Technically, Ingrid commits a felony - but Almodóvar is asking, _did Ingrid do anything wrong?_

With its gentle quality, it’s hard not to take _The Room Next Door_ home with you. Yes, it’s a death-affirming story. And yet by probing the delicacy of our short lifespans – time spent writing about warfare, and painting, and breathing mountain air, and making love – it’s also a deeply life-affirming one.

Read our full review at https://good.film/guide/the-room-next-door-could-change-your-mind-about-euthanasia

Brent Marchant

To live or to die is a decision many of us are probably reluctant to address. The fear of this great unknown is enough to keep the notion at bay. But what if we were to find ourselves dealing with a terminal illness with little hope for the future? Would we be willing to nobly soldier on, knowing that our circumstances are only going to get worse, or would we choose to transition to what’s next on our own time and under our own terms? Such is the scenario involving two old friends, Martha (Tilda Swinton), a former war correspondent who has lived a rich, full life but is now afflicted with terminal cancer, and Ingrid (Julianne Moore), a successful author who recently penned a book detailing her personal fear of death. When Martha’s condition takes a turn for the worse and her joy of living rapidly begins vanishing, she decides she wants to pass on before she significantly deteriorates. She willfully chooses to die with dignity in a comfortable and beautiful setting of her choosing. But she doesn’t want to be alone when the time comes: She wants to be in the presence of a compassionate soul in those final moments, someone not to act as a facilitator but who can provide company, comfort and support “in the room next door” as she slips away. And so it’s indeed ironic when Martha asks Ingrid to be that person. It’s a proposal about which Ingrid has serious reservations, but she also recognizes that she can’t in all good conscience turn her back on a friend. These circumstances also provide her with an opportunity to face firsthand the fears she’s just written about. But, those well-intentioned considerations aside, how will matters unfold for all concerned when events are no longer theoretical and turn real? That’s what writer-director Pedro Almódovar explores in his latest feature offering, providing viewers with a thoughtful, profound yet practical and eminently moving take on a controversial subject, one that’s been surfacing more candidly and more frequently in public discourse than it once did and that carries myriad ramifications ethically, emotionally and legally. While the film periodically veers off onto somewhat unrelated narrative tangents and occasionally becomes a little too talky for its own good (qualities that often encroach upon Almódovar’s works), this is arguably one of the filmmaker’s finest efforts both in terms of the sensitivity employed in the treatment of its subject, as well as in raising questions about the validity and propriety of right to die matters. It’s particularly noteworthy for the superb performances of its two principals, both of whom turn in some of the best work of their careers, as evidenced by Swinton’s Golden Globe Award nomination for best lead actress in a drama. It’s long been believed that none of us will know the time when we’ll pass, that it’s something left up to fate. But must it be that way, especially if we deliberately put our minds to our circumstances? “The Room Next Door” gives us much to ponder in this regard, showing us how leaving matters to chance ultimately might not be the wisest or most fulfilling course for all of us to follow.

Pedro Almodóvar on The Room Next Door - FLC Luminaries

"The Friend Next Door"

'The Room Next Door' With Cinematographer Eduard Grau | Academy Conversations

Ingrid and Martha Come Alive

Pedro Almodóvar on THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

Envisioning Almodóvar | Behind the Scenes of THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton Enter The World of Almodóvar

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR Conversation at AFI Fest 2024

Julianne Moore Interview

Julianne Moore stole a Bottega bag from the set - Interview

Julianne Moore on working with Pedro Almodóvar on The Room Next Door #lff

Official Clip

Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, Pedro Almodóvar, and John Turturro on The Room Next Door

Pedro Almodóvar, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, and John Turturro on The Room Next Door

Official Trailer

Teaser Trailer

The Room Next Door( 2024)

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A review by CinemaSerf

Written by CinemaSerf on Thu Oct 31 2024

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