The Human Voice trailer showcases Tilda Swinton in Pedro Almodóvar’s new short film

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Almodóvar reimagines Jean Cocteau’s 1930 play of the same name

Pedro Almodóvar’s new 30-minute short film, The Human Voice, has a poster, a trailer and a UK release date.

The Spanish director’s first English language project sees Tilda Swinton take the lead. It’s based on Jean Cocteau’s 1930 play of the same name – a monologue in which a woman laments the loss of a lover.

The trailer is short and simple. It shows Swinton pacing around an otherwise empty room with a stirring string instrument soundtrack – Almodóvar’s usual melodrama and his signature colour, bright red, are both immediately present.

“There was a time when I waited for you,” Swinton’s unnamed character says, between long, dramatic pauses. “And you always came back. Until three days ago.” Intriguing. The poster shows Swinton in the same red dress, holding an axe above her head.

According to Pathé:  “Madness and melancholy intersect to thrilling effect” in the film, as Almodóvar reimagines Cocteau’s play “for an era in which isolation has become a way of life.” The Human Voice is “a short, sharp shot of distilled Almodóvar: passion, emotion, heartbreak, wit, and melodrama exquisitely bound up in a tale for our times.”

Almodóvar is one of Spain’s most celebrated directors – his previous films include the Penélope Cruz-led Volver and 2019’s Pain and Glory starring Antonio Banderas. He is the winner of an Oscar, four BAFTAs and numerous Goyas (a prestigious Spanish film award). 

If you want to find out what Tilda’s up to with that axe, you don’t have too long to wait – The Human Voice hits UK cinemas on November 7. In the meantime, be sure to check out the must-see movies at this year's London Film Festival.

Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.