Sometimes a film can have a lot of interesting things to say, but the way it says it be muddled.
“The Room Next Door” from director Pedro Almodovar is such a movie. It stars Julianne Moore as an author named Ingrid who reconnects with an estranged friend and former colleague. That individual is Martha (Tilda Swinton), who’s suffering from a terminal cancer.
As Ingrid visits Martha in the hospital and rebuilds their friendship, she learns that the woman wants to end her life on her own terms peacefully. Martha then asks Ingrid if she will keep her company in her final days at a vacation home, where Moore’s character can stay in the titular room next door.
There is definitely an interesting premise at play in “The Room Next Door.” The subject of terminally ill patients seeking options to end their lives, referred to legislatively often as death with dignity, is a heavily debated topic and it’s a subject that can clearly create human drama.
That is the case in Almodovar’s film, as its characters are put into difficult situations leading to reflective moments and intriguing interactions. The moral conflicts Ingrid has to deal with, as well as Martha’s rumination about her own lived experiences, can successfully keep a viewer’s interest.
While what the characters are going through is thought-provoking, though, how they’re portrayed in the film leaves a lot to be desired. The characters featured, especially the two at its center, often speak in ways that feel overly scripted. There are several moments that come across as unnatural because of how lines are delivered.
In several scenes, it almost feels like two aliens pretending to be human are the main characters, rather than just two friends who are reconnecting and going through a difficult trial. To give the benefit of the doubt, this may have been by design. Perhaps Almodovar wanted the characters to be this way so the subject matter is the most notable part of the film.
However, it doesn’t work. It’s not like his other films, either, as 2019’s “Pain and Glory” and 2021’s “Parallel Mothers” each featured very grounded, moving human moments and relationships.
That’s not to say a viewer doesn’t feel sympathy for the characters or their struggles. An audience can still appreciate Martha’s conviction to ending her life on her terms, as well as Ingrid’s commitment to helping her friend despite her grief around the situation. It also helps when the lead roles are portrayed by a pair of Oscar winners who can get the point of the film across.
John Turturro is pretty good on screen well as Ingrid’s friend and confidant. His character provides a more pessimistic but real look at the situation, which is a contrast to Ingrid. Though the film also introduces that he is a writer about climate change, and attempts to connect the Earth’s future with Global Warming to what Martha is going through. It’s something that never clicks.
It’s unfortunate this one doesn’t resonate more. Its premise offers a viewer something profound, yet there’s regularly a large degree of separation with what’s happening on screen because of how the characters behave. It can keep one invested and the movie benefits from Almodovar’s experienced direction, but leaves a person wanting much more. 3.25 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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