I find it strange that we can agree to euthanize our beloved pet when its medical condition offers no hope for recovery or a reasonable quality of life yet, in all but a handful of countries, the laws don’t allow us to offer that same degree of compassion to ourselves. As human lifespans continue to increase, except in the US I read this morning, and the cost of palliative care and health insurance continues to be out of financial reach for more and more people, governments may be forced to legalize assisted suicide simply as a matter of economics. I look forward to that day because there is nothing compassionate about letting yourself, or watching your loved one, suffer needlessly. Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar (PARALLEL MOTHERS; PAIN AND GLORY) takes a look at the subject of assisted suicide in his first English-language feature film, THE ROOM NEXT DOOR.

Having recently returned to New York after a long absence, successful author Ingrid (Julianne Moore, MAY DECEMBER; DEAR EVAN HANSEN) learns that Martha (Tilda Swinton, THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING), a retired war correspondent for a major newspaper and a former colleague of hers from their days working at a magazine, has terminal cancer. The two women were once good friends, even having the same lover, fellow writer Damian (John Turturro, THE BATMAN), though not at the same time. Ingrid decides to visit Martha in the hospital where Martha tells her that she had recently bought a euthanasia pill on the Dark Web and that she plans to end her life at the appropriate time with dignity. Ingrid, who is terrified of death, agrees to be there for her old friend when that time comes.

Watching a nearly two hour movie about coming to terms with death may be a hard sell for many people but Moore and Swinton are at the top of their game here and they make THE ROOM NEXT DOOR well worth the effort. Almodóvar has crafted a touching story about friendship and compassion, and it will certainly make people who feel uncertain about the ethics of assisted suicide pause to consider the subject again. The story isn’t a complete downer though, and there are plenty of scenes where you might find yourself chuckling along with the women as they reminisce about the past and deal with the present. The film has an old Woody Allen-esque feel to it though it also has all the hallmarks of an Almodóvar production — strong female protagonists, discussions about art and literature, and the bold use of primary colours. Where the film loses points is with the English dialogue. It sometimes comes off as a bit stilted and one has to wonder if it would have been better had the film been done in Spanish. Lawmakers in Spain, however, legalized euthanasia in 2021 while their pseudo-Christian counterparts in America refuse to do so, so the story needed to be set in the US.

Martha is lucky. She lives in a swish Manhattan apartment, clearly has a gold-plated healthcare plan and has the financial means to be able to choose where she wants to end her life. How many of us are in the same position?

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR opens in Hong Kong tomorrow (February 6th). While it’s not Almodóvar’s greatest film, even his middling films are better than many filmmakers’ best works.

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