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Bitter Christmas streaming

Original title: Amarga Navidad
2026 Movie Spain Drama, Comedy 107 min FSK 12
By: Pedro Almodóvar With: Patrick Criado, Samantha Hudson, Bibiana Fernández, Rossy de Palma, Omar Ayuso

After her mother dies, director of commercials Elsa immerses herself in work to cope. When migraine forces her to take a break, she decides to travel to Lanzarote in the 2004 Constitution Day's long weekend with her friend Patricia while her boyfriend (stripper and fireman Bonifacio) stays in Madrid. To resume creative writing, she vampirises the personal miseries of her close friends. In a timeline set in 2025, the plot explores how filmmaker Raúl is writing a script which turns out to be the story of Elsa, Raúl's alter ego. Raúl is delving into autofiction to overcome a creativity block, and is influenced by his own life, his boyfriend Santi and his assistant Mónica.

Filmium rating
66%

Mood

Melancholic
Reflective
Tragicomic

Cast & Crew

Pedro Almodóvar
Julia de Castro
Gloria Muñoz
Guitarricadelafuente
Belén Riquelme
Lola Rodríguez
Carmen Machi
Teo Lucadamo
Palomo Spain
Topacio Fresh
Samantha Hudson
Patrick Criado
Diogo Belizario
Tusti de las Heras
Amaia Romero
Leonardo Sbaraglia
Omar Ayuso
María Morales
Bárbara Lennie
Antonio Romero
Milena Smit
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
Bruna Lucadamo
Miguel Ángel Gorbe
Rossy de Palma
Luis Jaspe
Aitana Batres
Victoria Luengo
Quim Gutiérrez
Nieves Álvarez
Bibiana Fernández

Cast

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
Barbara Lennie
Leonardo Sbaraglia

Composer, Original Music

Alberto Iglesias

Director of Photography

Pau Esteve Birba

Crew

Pau Esteve Birba (Cinematographer)
Teresa Font (Editor)

Director

Pedro Almodóvar

Author

Pedro Almodóvar

Producer

The Desire

Production Company

The Desire

Adaptation

Autofiction

Budget

Mid-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Colorful
Metafiction
Nested Storytelling

Narrative Structure

Dialogue-Driven
Frame Narrative
Nonlinear

Pace

Contemplative
Slow-Burn

Soundtrack

Chavela Vargas Songs
Musical
Orchestral Score

Time-Period

2004 Setting
2025 Setting

Central Conflict

Autofiction Ethical Dilemmas
Creative Block
Grief And Loss

Characters

Agent
Female Commercial Director
Firefighter Stripper
Psychiatrist
Screenwriter

Ending

Ambiguous Screenplay Conclusion
Open Ending

Historical Context

Constitution Day Holiday
Early 2000S Spain

Key Plot Points

Film Within A Film
Migraine And Hospitalization
Script Controversy With Collaborator
Suicide Attempt Rescue
Vacation And Screenplay Writing

Setting

Lanzarote
Madrid
Spain

Shooting Location

Lanzarote
Madrid

Theme

Autofiction And Artistic Ethics
Creative Process
Grief And Mourning

Genre

Drama
Tragicomedy

Audiences

Adult Audiences
Arthouse Filmgoers
Fans Of Auteur Cinema

Titles

Bitter Christmas

Awards

Cannes Soundtrack Award 2026

Box Office Success

$6 Million Worldwide Gross
€2.6 Million Domestic Gross

Critical Reception

87% Rotten Tomatoes
Generally Favorable Reviews
Praised For Honesty And Narrative Structure

Festivals

Cannes Film Festival 2026
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival 2026

Popularity

Cult Auteur Interest
Known For Dividing Audience Opinions

Ratings

Allocine Press 3.6/5
Imdb 6.3 Out Of 10
Letterboxd 3.15 Out Of 5

Production Countries

Spain

Release Year

2026
mowizz ID: c3b5e46d-8904-4397-80da-a6cf8da976fc
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