When we talk about someone “growing up on screen,” it usually refers to a child star maturing into an accomplished actor. Rarer—and arguably more fascinating—is witnessing a filmmaker come of age behind the camera. And few have done so as compellingly as Pedro Almodóvar, the legendary Spanish director whose latest film, “The Room Next Door,” opens at The Triplex this week.

Almodóvar began his career in the liberated Spain of the late 1970s, as the shadow of the Franco regime began to fade. His early works—movies like “Matador,” “Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!,” and “Pepi, Luci, Bom”—embraced camp and unapologetic sexuality, drawing comparisons to John Waters, cementing his reputation as an “enfant terrible,” and making him a star of the burgeoning indie film movement.
But as Almodóvar matured, so did his work. While retaining his provocative edge, he began weaving layers of introspection into his storytelling, creating intricate narratives where the past and present collide. Films like “Live Flesh,” “All About My Mother,” and “Talk to Her” expanded on his early themes with a newfound poignancy, reflecting the melancholy and wisdom of age. Later works such as “Bad Education,” “Volver,” and “Broken Embraces” drew from classics like “Double Indemnity” and “Vertigo,” exploring characters haunted by their histories and hinting at Almodóvar’s own struggles with his past.

It is an introspection that reaches its peak in his recent films. “Pain & Glory,” a semi-autobiographical tale, casts Antonio Banderas as Almodóvar’s stand-in, exploring an aging director’s reckoning with his legacy. “Parallel Mothers” delves into Spain’s unresolved Civil War trauma, while “The Room Next Door” channels his early passion for subversion into a meditation on life’s final chapter.
It is a fascinating body of work, one that fuses the personal and political, proudly elevating queer and women-focused narratives that challenge the status quo. Each era of his filmmaking remains vital, especially in a world increasingly flirting with authoritarianism. But perhaps his greatest achievement is the collective story his films tell: an artist growing, loving, losing, and transforming those experiences into timeless art.
Now Playing
“Selma”
A free screening to honor the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
We are celebrating the enduring legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. with a free screening of Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” on January 20! A Best Picture nominee that chronicles the work of Dr. King and his fellow civil rights activists as they lead the historic 1965 voting rights marches, Selma remains a powerful reminder of the power of civil disobedience a decade after its release.
After the screening, join us for a discussion with Shirley Edgerton, a local activist and member of the Berkshire County NAACP Executive Committee, about her civil rights. Monday, January 20, at 11:30 a.m.

“A Complete Unknown”
The story of how Bob Dylan transformed into a defiant icon.
James Mangold, director of “Walk the Line,” brings the electric true story of Bob Dylan to the big screen in “A Complete Unknown.” Timothée Chalamet stars and sings in this depiction of Dylan’s transformation from an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota to the defiant icon who changed music forever.
Continues this week!

“Babygirl”
A screwball erotic thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson.
An erotic thriller that flips the script on traditional power dynamics, “Babygirl” follows Romy (Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman), the CEO of a high-profile tech company who puts her family and career on the line when she starts an affair with a much younger intern (Harris Dickinson).
Continues this week!

Coming Soon
“The Brutalist”
Director Brady Corbet (“Vox Lux”) creates a towering cinematic tribute to the immigrant experience in “The Brutalist.” The story of brilliant architect László Tóth (Oscar winner Adrien Brody), who comes to America after surviving the holocaust and struggles to achieve the American dream while realizing his architectural masterwork. A Golden Globes winner for Best Picture, Actor, and Director, “The Brutalist” is a sweeping cinematic epic that needs to be seen on the big screen.
Starts January 24.

“Dog Man”
When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Based on Dav Pilkey’s beloved graphic novels, “Dog Man” features the voice talents of Pete Davidson, Isla Fisher, Lil Rel Howery, Ricky Gervais, and more in this mad-cap adventure that is a celebration of silliness.
Starts January 31.
