Pedro Almodóvar‘s English-language feature debut is a stylish albeit strained saga of reconnection amid tragedy. Based on the novel What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez, The Room Next Door gives glimpses of strength in its beautiful production design and enviable wardrobes. Still, strong visual aesthetics ultimately don’t make up for a soft script. Even Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore’s star power can’t stop this drama from nearly flatlining.

An Overdue Reunion Sparks Joy and Sacrifice

Ingrid (Moore) is a best-selling author whose career is flourishing, as evidenced by her sold-out book signing event. She gets a sobering reality check after learning that her once-close friend Martha (Swinton) is in the late stages of cancer. Despite not seeing each other in some time, Ingrid feels called to visit Martha in the hospital. Ingrid’s presence is the greatest gift to Martha, who welcomes her back into her life with open arms.

We learn that Ingrid and Martha were colleagues-turned-friends from when they worked for the same NYC magazine. Their lives eventually led each down a different path. Ingrid pursued writing and Martha became an on-the-ground war correspondent. The women were gradually separated by circumstance, until now. Perhaps it’s Martha’s persuadable personality, or maybe it’s Ingrid’s desire to please, but the women quickly become inseparable. Martha appreciates this quality time, and eventually asks Ingrid the most unexpected yet important question of the relatively short time she has left: will she accompany Martha upstate and keep her company until she decides to end her life?

Watch The Room Next Door trailer here.

In Sickness and in Health

It’s a bizarre situation that Almodóvar infuses dark humor into to relieve the grief. Ingrid agrees to Martha’s final wish, despite her obvious and repeated statement that she’s “terrified of death”. The house upstate is gorgeous and, ironically, beaming with life due to its proximity to nature. The film’s second half takes place primarily in this architecturally stunning wonderland that borders the dimension between life and death.

Tilda Swinton Makes it Impossible to Look Away

Tilda Swinton gives a staggering performance as Martha. She comes alive as she exaggeratedly retells stories from her deathbed, which usually includes flashbacks and (frankly unnecessary) reenactments. Swinton embodies Martha’s vulnerability so delicately that it’s hard to look away anytime she is on screen. I wish I could say the same about Julianne Moore’s Ingrid, although that’s not entirely her fault. Ingrid is written so one-dimensionally and flat, there isn’t much for Moore to work with until the film’s end. Ingrid acts primarily as a sounding board and even therapist for Martha. She is never given a personality of her own.

The biggest question that is never really answered is why Ingrid feels the need to put her life on pause while she essentially acts as Martha’s hospice BFF. Her career is taking off and it can be argued that, while it’s incredibly generous to step away to care for a loved one, the two women hadn’t been close in years. Decades even. The motivation is never fully revealed.

The Almodóvar Color Palette Doesn’t Disappoint

Fans of Almodóvar will be pleased to know that his signature style of bold colors and breathtaking visuals are all over The Room Next Door. The color red is nearly in every scene, whether it be a car, coat, purse, or lipstick. When we first meet both women, Ingrid wears a bright red sweater. Martha is dressed in a muted red top. Their varying shades of red, the color of passion and vitality, seem to ultimately foreshadow their fate. Almodóvar’s frequent collaborator, composer Alberto Iglesias, reteams with the director again here. While the score is emotive and large-scale, it feels oversaturated and conflicting in certain scenes. Ultimately, it is more distracting than a helpful storytelling device.

Takeaway

The Room Next Door is not Almodóvar’s finest work, but it offers a unique perspective on an unconventional life journey. The film’s message of accepting and living with tragedy is a very personal one, I’m sure it will resonate differently with everyone who views it.