Bitter Christmas

Name: Bitter Christmas
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: 2026-03-20
Duration: 1 h 52 min
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Bárbara Lennie, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Victoria Luengo, Patrick Criado

2026·Movie·112 min·★ 6.5(88)

Drama Comedy More Spanish titles

“You’re confusing fiction with reality.”

After her mother dies in December, advertising director Elsa immerses herself in work to cope. When a panic attack forces her to take a break, she decides to travel to Lanzarote with her friend Patricia. The story of these women run parallel to that of a screenwriter and film director, exploring how life and fiction are inseparably linked, sometimes painfully so.

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Where to watch Bitter Christmas in United States

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Click a service to open Bitter Christmas there. Availability last verified on June 29, 2026.

About Bitter Christmas

Bitter Christmas is a 2026 Spanish-language drama and comedy film directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The cast is led by Bárbara Lennie, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón. It has a runtime of 1h 52m. Viewers rate it 6.5/10 across 100 ratings.

Bitter Christmas was produced by El Deseo and made in Spain. It was released on March 20, 2026. Made on a budget of about $12 million, it went on to gross $5 million worldwide.

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Writers: Pedro Almodóvar
Release date: March 20, 2026
Original language: Spanish
Status: Released
Country: Spain
Budget: $12 million
Box office: $5 million
Production: El Deseo

#grief#panic attack#parallel stories#black comedy

Bitter Christmas cast & crew

Bitter Christmas was directed by Pedro Almodóvar and written by Pedro Almodóvar.

The cast features Bárbara Lennie as Elsa, Leonardo Sbaraglia as Raúl Durán, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón as Mónica, Victoria Luengo as Patricia, Patrick Criado as Bonifacio (Beau), and Milena Smit as Natalia.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Alberto Iglesias, cinematography is by Pau Esteve Birba, and it was produced by Agustín Almodóvar and Esther García.

Is Bitter Christmas worth watching?

Bitter Christmas holds an audience score of 6.5/10 from 88 ratings, a solidly received drama films.

At 1h 52m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama and comedy, Bitter Christmas is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Bitter Christmas

Bitter Christmas isn't currently available on major streaming services in United States. We track availability continuously — add it to your watchlist and we'll keep an eye out.

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