There are filmmakers who shift their approach when filming in another country and speaking another language. The Room Next Door marks a transition into a full-length English-language feature for a creator known for intimate, bold storytelling. The film stars Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, and John Turturro, expanding on earlier English-language shorts that highlighted Swinton and opened the door to a larger screen presence.
The narrative unfolds in two voices, tracing the proximity of death, acceptance, and the choice to help a friend meet death with calm dignity. Inspired by Cocteau’s Human Voice, the story asks whether serenity can exist when a cure is gone and nothing more can be done. Other themes surface, including the rise of a far-right movement and the ecological crisis, but they sit in the background, coloring memory and history as the drama moves forward.
Visually and actorly, the film builds a sensibility that leans on a broad tradition of character-driven storytelling. It recalls the craft of classic cinema and television drama, with nods to George Cukor and Ingmar Bergman, to the painterly use of light by Edward Hopper, and to the melodrama lineage that informs contemporary performance. Moore’s presence recalls her acclaimed work in Far From Heaven, a performance many viewers see as a touchstone of modern acting, and her pairing with Swinton feels both natural and electric within this world.
Moore and Swinton, together and separately, render moments of quiet illumination that linger. One hospital sequence places them in a room where pink light softens the space and memory hovers at the edge of the frame. A single look between them carries the weight of a decision, and the door, as it closes, becomes a quiet symbol of the choice to let go. The scene’s stillness invites reflection that stays with the audience long after the moment ends.
As the story shifts to a forest house, the mood deepens into stillness and thoughtful light. The second act blends Thoreau-inspired contemplation with Hopper-like luminosity, balancing philosophical questions with intimate emotion. The film sustains a delicate tonal balance, moving from intimate conversations to broader reflections about life, duty, and endurance that resonate beyond the screen.