‘Room Next Door’ is ‘a thinking man’s drama’

The storyline of “The Room Next Door,” is a heavy subject matter — euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Starring Academy Award winners Julianne Moore (“Magnolia,” “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”) and Tilda Swinton (“Michael Clayton”), the film focuses on two women now in their sixties who reunite after decades apart under extreme, but sensitive circumstances.

Tilda plays “Martha,” an eclectic former war correspondent, who receives a grim cancer diagnosis while living out her life in her stylish Manhattan apartment. After trying numerous experimental routes, Martha comes to terms with her fate while finding an illegal euthanasia pill on the dark web. After many rejections from friends and loved ones, she finally enlists Ingrid to agree to accompany her to an upstate New York Airbnb rental for a month of reflection and ultimately chosen death.

Directed by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, known for his bright use of colors and stylish sets, it’s a kind of trickery used here, as although the upstate New York shooting location does resemble the Empire State pretty well, it was shot in and around Spain.

“The Room Next Door” never felt quite as heavy as its dark subject matter would sound—in fact, quite the opposite. This thinking man’s drama was smart and gentle and should invoke a thought process we all eventually come to terms with.

After you watch this one, give Tilda yet another shot in one of her best films, the wild “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” I haven’t seen it in years, but like the tender animals and people we lose along our journey, boy, did that one leave a mark!

Review

“The Room Next Door”

Starring: Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro

Christopher’s “Meow” Score: 7 paws out of 10.