The Room Next Door (Spanish: La habitación de al lado) is a 2024 Spanish drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar in his English-language full-length debut, based on the novel What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez.[3] Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore star, with John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola in supporting roles.
| The Room Next Door | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Pedro Almodóvar |
| Written by | Pedro Almodóvar |
| Based on | What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Edu Grau |
| Edited by | Teresa Font |
| Music by | Alberto Iglesias |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | Spain |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $8.5 million[1][2] |
The film premiered on 2 September 2024 at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded with the Golden Lion, a first for a Spanish film.[4] It was released theatrically in Spain on 18 October 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is scheduled for a limited release in the United States on 20 December 2024 by Sony Pictures Classics.
Synopsis
editIngrid and Martha were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme, but strangely sweet, situation.[5][6]
Cast
edit- Tilda Swinton as Martha Hunt[7]
- Julianne Moore as Ingrid Parker[7]
- John Turturro as Damian Cunningham[8]
- Alessandro Nivola as Policeman[9]
- Juan Diego Botto as Photographer[9]
- Melina Matthews as Lawyer[9]
- Raúl Arévalo as Spanish Priest (Bernardo)[9]
- Victoria Luengo as Fred's Wife[9]
- Esther McGregor as Young Martha[10]
- Alex Høgh Andersen as Fred[10]
- Alvise Rigo as Jonah (The Trainer)[10]
Production
editAlmodóvar talked about plans to shoot an English-language film set in New York City on the eve of his trip to the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[11] The title The Room Next Door was advertised in late 2023.[12] In January 2024, El Deseo announced that Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton had been cast in the lead roles, with John Turturro as another cast member.[13] Swinton described the film as "a natural successor, strangely, to Pain and Glory".[14] The film is an El Deseo production with the participation of Movistar Plus+.[15] Filming began on 3 March 2024 in Madrid.[7] Alessandro Nivola joined the cast that same month.[16] Shooting locations also included New York City.[17] On 12 June 2024, Juan Diego Botto, Raúl Arévalo, Melina Matthews, and Victoria Luengo were announced as additional cast members.[18] Edu Grau was the film's cinematographer.[19]
Release
edit
In advance of the start of production, Almodóvar's recurring North American distributor Sony Pictures Classics picked up rights to the film in North America, the Middle East, India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.[20]
The film was released in cinemas in Spain on 18 October 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures.[21][9] Warner Bros. also acquired distribution rights for the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe (excluding Poland), Latin America and some territories in Asia-Pacific, including Japan along with South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.[22] It will be made available on Movistar Plus+ in Spain after its theatrical window.[23]
In July 2024, the film was reportedly likely to premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival;[24] this was confirmed a week later, with the film announced to be premiering in competition.[25] Alberto Barbera reported that the film was premiering during the festival's second half.[26] The film was also selected for screenings at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (for its North American premiere),[27] and the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival (as a 'Donostia Award' screening),[28] as well as for the Centerpiece selection of the 62nd New York Film Festival at the Alice Tully Hall on 4 October 2024 (for its U.S. premiere).[3]
The film will have its South Asia premiere at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 on 19 October 2024, under the World Cinema section.[29]
It is scheduled to open in New York City and Los Angeles on 20 December 2024 by Sony Pictures Classics, followed by a limited release in select US cities on Christmas Day, and a January 2025 wide US release.[30]
Reception
editCritical response
edit
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 124 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Anchored by a pair of terrific performances swathed in vivid colors, Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar's English-language feature debut attests to his universal fluency in provocative filmmaking."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[32]
Stephanie Zacharek of Time wrote that "if it's possible to make a joyful movie about death, Almodóvar has just done it".[33]
Owen Gleiberman of Variety assessed that Swinton "gives a monumental performance", "worthy of comparison to the spirit and virtuosity of Vanessa Redgrave".[34]
Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph lamented that the result of Almodóvar's anglophone feature debut is "depressingly thin".[35]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, finding it "as extravagant and engrossing and doggedly mysterious as anything [Almodóvar] has done recently".[36] Also reviewing for The Guardian, Wendy Ide rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, describing it as feeling "emotionally empty".[37]
Accolades
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Room Next Door, The". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "The Room Next Door". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ a b Kay, Jeremy (1 August 2024). "US premiere of Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door' named NYFF centrepiece". ScreenDaily.
- ^ EFE (7 September 2024). "'La habitación de al lado' de Almodóvar, primera película española en ganar el León de Oro". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ "The Room Next Door - Cast | IMDbPro". pro.imdb.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (2 September 2024). "'The Room Next Door' Review: Tilda Swinton Gives a Monumental Performance as a Woman Confronting Death in Pedro Almodóvar's First English-Language Drama". Variety. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Bajo, Jordan (8 March 2024). "The Room Next Door: que nous réserve le prochain film de Pedro Almodóvar avec Julianne Moore et Tilda Swinton" [The Room Next Door: what does Pedro Almodóvar's next film with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton have in store for us?]. Vogue (in French). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Brooks, Xan (2 September 2024). "The Room Next Door review – Almodóvar spins a gorgeous, fragile tale of life and deat". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c d e f Partearroyo, Daniel de (12 June 2024). "'La habitación de al lado', de Almodóvar: fecha de estreno, reparto y todo sobre su primera película en inglés". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
- ^ a b c Ezaydi, Shahed (24 July 2024). "Motherhood, friendship and war: everything you need to know about The Room Next Door". Stylist.
- ^ Belinchón, Gregorio (17 May 2023). "Pedro Almodóvar will shoot his first English-language feature film in New York City". El País.
- ^ "El primer largometraje en inglés de Pedro Almodóvar se ambientará en Nueva York". Cinemanía. 6 October 2023 – via 20minutos.es.
- ^ "Swinton y Moore serán protagonistas del primer largometraje en inglés de Almodóvar". Heraldo de Aragón. 25 January 2024.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (28 February 2024). "Tilda Swinton Says Pedro Almodóvar's 'Room Next Door' Is a 'Natural Successor' to 'Pain and Glory'". IndieWire.
- ^ "'La habitación de al lado' de Pedro Almodóvar se verá en exclusiva en Movistar Plus+ tras su paso por los cines". Audiovisual451. 25 March 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (18 March 2024). "Alessandro Nivola Joins Pedro Almodóvar's Next Film 'The Room Next Door'". Deadline. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (23 July 2024). "'The Room Next Door' First Look: Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton Are Pedro Almodóvar's New Muses". IndieWire.
- ^ Retamal N., Pablo (13 June 2024). "La Habitación de Al Lado: todo lo que sabemos de la nueva película de Pedro Almodóvar". La Tercera.
- ^ "La nueva película de Pedro Almodóvar, 'La habitación de al lado', se estrenará en octubre". Camera and Light Mag. 14 June 2024.
- ^ Lang, Brent (1 February 2024). "Sony Pictures Classics Releasing Pedro Almodovar's 'The Room Next Door,' Starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton". Variety.
- ^ Pozo, José Carlos (23 October 2024). "John Turturro explica cómo lo nuevo de Almodóvar le hace recordar un trágico momento de su vida: "no se supera por completo"". HobbyConsolas.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (12 June 2024). "Warner Bros Acquires Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door' In Spain, UK, Germany & Other Key Overseas Markets". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Velasco, Marina (25 March 2024). "Una única plataforma acogerá el estreno de la primera película de Almodóvar grabada íntegramente en inglés: estreno en cines y dónde verla 'online'". El Confidencial.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick; Keslassy, Elsa (16 July 2024). "Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door,' Starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, Eyeing Venice Film Festival Debut". Variety. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ "Biennale Cinema 2024 | The room next door". La Biennale di Venezia. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (23 July 2024). "Venice Festival Chief Alberto Barbera Says 'Joker 2' Is "One Of The Most Daring Films In Recent American Cinema" & Daniel Craig Gives "The Performance Of His Career" In 'Queer' – The Deadline Q&A". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Pond, Steven (13 August 2024). "Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis,' Pedro Almodovar's 'The Room Next Door' Added to Toronto Film Festival Lineup". The Wrap.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (14 August 2024). "Pedro Almodóvar to Receive 2024 San Sebastian Donostia Career Achievement Award". Variety.
- ^ "The Room Next Door". MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (30 August 2024). "'The Room Next Door' Teaser: First Look At Pedro Almodóvar's Feature English-Language Debut Starring Julianne Moore & Tilda Swinton + Release Date Set". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "The Room Next Door". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ "The Room Next Door". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (2 September 2024). "Pedro Almodóvar's The Room Next Door Finds Joy Even as It Stares Down Death". Time.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (2 September 2024). "'The Room Next Door' Review: Tilda Swinton Gives a Monumental Performance as a Woman Confronting Death in Pedro Almodóvar's First English-Language Drama". Variety.
- ^ Collin, Robbie (2 September 2024). "The Room Next Door: Almodóvar's English-language debut is a clunky disappointment". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (23 October 2024). "The Room Next Door review – Almodóvar's English-language debut is extravagant and engrossing". The Guardian.
- ^ Ide, Wendy (25 October 2025). "The Room Next Door review – Almodóvar's stylish end-of-life drama feels emotionally empty". The Guardian.
- ^ Kiang, Jessica (7 September 2024). "Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door' Wins Venice Golden Lion as Nicole Kidman Takes Best Actress — Full Winners List". Variety.
- ^ "VENEZIA 81 - Il Premio Brian a "The Room Next Door" di Pedro Almodovar". Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Mostra del Cinema di Venezia: il Premio Brian 2024 a "The Room Next Door" di Pedro Almodovar". Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (20 November 2024). "Hans Zimmer & 'Emilia Pérez' Lead 2024 Hollywood Music In Media Awards Winners". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Shafer, Ellise (5 November 2024). "European Film Awards Nominations: 'Emilia Pérez,' 'The Substance,' 'The Room Next Door' and More Up for Best Film". Variety. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Nominations 2024". European Film Academy. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Blackwelder, Carson; FitzPatrick, Hayley; Bernabe, Angeline Jane; Leib, Mason (9 December 2024). "Golden Globes 2025: Full list of nominations". abcnews.go.com.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (20 November 2024). "Movies for Grownups Awards: 'Conclave' Leads With 6 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ Pinilla J., Esther (28 November 2024). "La lista completa de los nominados a los Premios Feroz 2025" [The complete list of nominees for the 2025 Feroz Awards]. Telecinco (in Spanish).
- ^ "2024 Nominees | International Press Academy". Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ Partearroyo, Daniel de (18 December 2024). "Premios Goya 2025: 'El 47' domina con 14 nominaciones, seguida de 'La infiltrada'". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
External links
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