Pedro Almodóvar’s 'Amarga Navidad' Leads Diverse New Spanish Box Office Releases

The Spanish box office is offering a diverse mix of films this week, blending work from acclaimed directors with major international releases to appeal to a wide range of moviegoers.

The biggest highlight is Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film, Amarga Navidad. Returning to the landscapes of Lanzarote—a setting he last used nearly 20 years ago—the director explores the process of grief through a protagonist working in the advertising world. The film features an ensemble cast led by Bárbara Lennie and Leonardo Sbaraglia.

In international drama, Una hija en Tokio, directed by Guillaume Senéz, arrives in theaters following successful screenings at the Toronto and Seville film festivals. The story follows a search for a parent in Japan, blending personal experience with fiction. For those looking for something lighter, French director Amélie Bonnin offers Elegir mi vida, a comedy about music and returning to one’s roots that premiered at Cannes.

Horror fans can look forward to Whistle: El silbido del mal. Directed by Corin Hardy and starring Dafne Keen, the film centers on a supernatural mystery involving an ancient Aztec ritual object. Younger audiences are also catered to with the German animated film Tafiti y sus amigos, which follows an adventure in the desert.

Rounding out the week’s releases are two very different projects: Dhurandhar: The Revenge, an Indian espionage thriller directed by Aditya Dhar that runs for over three and a half hours, and a special tenth-anniversary re-release of the beloved anime film Your Name. Makoto Shinkai’s hit will be in theaters until March 25, giving new audiences a chance to see this modern classic on the big screen.