‘Bitter Christmas’ Review: Pedro Almodóvar’s Playful New Film Nests Stories Within Stories, and Alter Egos Within Alter Egos
Pedro Almodóvar's new film 'Bitter Christmas' is a playful exploration of creativity and self-reference. While it showcases his signature visual style and humor, it lacks the deeper emotional resonance found in his previous works. The film has received a mixed reception, being enjoyable yet somewhat elusive in its themes.
- ▪Bitter Christmas is Almodóvar's second film in seven years, following the acclaimed Pain and Glory.
- ▪The film features a heavily metatextual narrative that reflects on creative inspiration and decline.
- ▪It opened theatrically in Spain in late March, grossing $3 million domestically to date.
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| Original publisher | Variety |
| Canonical URL | https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/bitter-christmas-review-pedro-almodovar-1236753260/ |
| Publication time | Tue, 19 May 2026 18:30:06 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-19T18:34:57.931Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-19T18:34:57.931Z |
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Home Film Reviews May 19, 2026 11:30am PT ‘Bitter Christmas’ Review: Pedro Almodóvar’s Playful New Film Nests Stories Within Stories, and Alter Egos Within Alter Egos As self-referencing as 2019's 'Pain and Glory' but without that film's deeper personal resonance, this Cannes competition entry is quintessential but not vintage Almodóvar: enjoyable and immaculately art-directed and color-blocked, as per, but it doesn't leave you much to hold onto. By Guy Lodge Plus Icon Guy Lodge Film Critic @guylodge Latest ‘Minotaur’ Review: Andrey Zvyagintsev Returns in Impeccable Form With a Despairing, Darkly Funny Reflection on Corruption and Betrayal in Putin’s Russia 3 hours ago ‘Fjord’ Review: The Family That Prays Together Is Torn Asunder in Cristian Mungiu’s Brilliantly Knotted Social Drama, Led…
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