Underplayed Gems

Bitter Christmas (2026)

Bitter Christmas poster
Original title
Amarga Navidad
Directed by
Pedro Almodóvar
Genre
drama film, comedy film, comedy drama
Country
Spain
Runtime
1h 51m
Rated
16
Rating
6.5 of 10 from 94 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A Spanish family gathers for a Christmas celebration that turns out differently than expected. Old tensions and personal disappointments come to the surface, mixing laughter with regret.

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What happens

Bitter Christmas (Spanish: Amarga Navidad) is a 2026 Spanish tragicomedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. It stars Bárbara Lennie and Leonardo Sbaraglia alongside Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Victoria Luengo, Patrick Criado, Milena Smit, and Quim Gutiérrez. It incorporates elements of autofiction. The film was released theatrically in Spain on 20 March 2026 by Warner Bros. Pictures, and subsequently had its international premiere on 19 May 2026 at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where Alberto Iglesias won the Cannes Soundtrack Award. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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