What’s hitting screens today
Friday, March 20 brings a neat little triple bill to Spanish theaters: Pedro Almodóvar’s intimate drama, a spine-tingling Aztec curse, and a family-friendly animated caper. Three very different trips to the movies depending on whether you want to feel, freak out, or giggle.
Bitter Christmas — Almodóvar’s bittersweet detour
Pedro Almodóvar returns with a character-driven slice of life about Elsa, an advertising director whose life derails when her mother dies over a long December weekend. Instead of collapsing into sorrow, Elsa buries herself in work until a panic attack makes the denial collapse like a poorly stacked prop.
The film leans into Almodóvar’s knack for vivid domestic detail and emotional precision: expect sharp dialogue, stylish interiors, and a central performance that sells the quiet, awkward mess of grief. It’s less about plot twists and more about watching someone finally stop running from what they feel.
Whistle: The Whistle of Evil — spooky sounds, nastier consequences
Switching gears, we get a horror pick about a bunch of misfit students who stumble on an ancient Aztec death whistle. Curiosity wins, somebody blows it, and the high-pitched, otherworldly call starts dragging their future deaths into the present.
This one trades in sound-design nightmares and creeping dread: the whistle is the star of the show, summoning visions and timing scares like a metronome from beyond. If you like folklore-tinged chills and creative kills that feel more brainy than gory, this will scratch that itch.
Tafiti and Her Friends — meerkat energy and accidental chaos
On the lighter side, this animated feature follows Tafiti, a young meerkat, who befriends Bristles, a wild pig looking for companionship. Bristles tags along home and accidentally triggers a calamity: Tafiti’s grandfather gets bitten by a poisonous snake.
It’s a family film with heart and slapstick—think friendship, apologies, and small-town chaos. The incident is treated with kid-friendly sensitivity (and a wink of comic timing), and the movie uses the mishap to teach about responsibility, bravery, and why you shouldn’t follow strangers into questionable caves.
Who should go?
Want something thought-provoking and emotionally bittersweet? Pick Almodóvar. Crave a tense, audio-first scare? Take a seat for the whistle. Bringing the kids or need something light and warm? Tafiti’s your safe bet. Or, be wild and see all three.