The Room Next Door (2024) review

Writer Ingrid (Julianne Moore), whose latest book is about death and her own thanatophobia, finds out that her old friend (and former colleague) Martha (Tilda Swinton), who was once a war correspondent, is dying from cervical cancer and so they reunite and spend time together before Martha informs Ingrid she's acquired a "euthanasia pill" (via the ever-so-trustworthy dark web) and wants Ingrid to be in the same house with her when she takes it.  I initially thought there would be some sort of "twist," but it's actually a plain drama-free narrative (adapted from the novel by Sigrid Nunez) in which they hang out in a beautiful rented home, drink wine, watch films and Ingrid frets over the situation - not even an encounter with the police adds significant tension, so it's basically a feature-length eulogy to both Martha and Planet Earth.  Moore and Swinton are two of the most distinguished actresses in the world, so they do what they can to carry the story (and make the most out of the clunky dialogue), but it's unusual to see one of the giants of the medium so ... melancholy.  Keep hope, Pedro: it's what many of us are trying to do.