Strange Way of Life

R

Released Oct 4, 2023

31m

Western

LGBTQ+

Short

TRAILER

for Strange Way of Life: Trailer 1

List

76%

96 Reviews

Tomatometer

55%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

A man rides a horse across the desert that separates him from Bitter Creek. He comes to visit Sheriff Jake. Twenty-five years earlier, both the sheriff and Silva, the rancher who rides out to meet him, worked together as hired gunmen. Silva visits him with the excuse of reuniting with his friend from his youth, and they do indeed celebrate their meeting, but the next morning Sheriff Jake tells him that the reason for his trip is not to go down the memory lane of their old friendship.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Feb 13

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Netflix

Watch Strange Way of Life with a subscription on Netflix, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Critics Consensus

A tantalizing glimpse of the bond between two people, the well-acted Strange Way of Life adds a brief but still rewarding chapter to Pedro Almodóvar's filmography.

Read Critics Reviews

Jonathan F

The movie told an engaging story and the lead actors were excellent. I wish it had been longer so we would know how things played out after the last scene.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/29/23

Full Review

Naomi

You know it's well done when it's short, but they still surprise you

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/17/23

Full Review

Miguel B

Not my favorite short.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/15/23

Full Review

James A

Interesting short slice of a bigger story. Acting was really good too.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/14/23

Full Review

Francis S

I knew it was a short film but it left me wanting to understand the character's more. There is a lot to unpack. A huge subject matter that deserved more time to develop. Other people have complex relationships why not two men?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/23

Full Review

andrew c

Very ascetic. Except for the memory sequence. Diaz script pretty heavy-handed too literary. Wish Manu Rios had a bigger role. Ah well!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/14/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Pedro Almodóvar

Director

Ethan Hawke

Jake

Pedro Pascal

Silva

José Condessa

Actor

Manu Rios

Actor

Pedro Casablanc

Actor

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

88%

93%

The Harder They Fall

TRAILER

for The Harder They Fall

78%

51%

In a Valley of Violence

TRAILER

for In a Valley of Violence

75%

77%

The Hateful Eight

TRAILER

for The Hateful Eight

0%

24%

Dead Man's Hand

TRAILER

for Dead Man's Hand

%

16%

The Night They Came Home

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Strange Way of Life: Trailer 1

1:07

View more videos

View more photos

Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

It is so cool to see even bite-sized Pedro Almodóvar.

Nov 1, 2023

Full Review

Keith Uhlich

(All (Parentheses))

Primo dom bottom energy from both Pedros.

Oct 27, 2023

Full Review

Adam Graham

Detroit News

Strange Way of Life feels abruptly truncated, cut off at the point where it starts to get interesting. That's the thing with shorts: sometimes they're wonderfully contained little stories, other times they're big stories that are over all too soon.

Rated: B-

Oct 6, 2023

Full Review

John Serba

Decider

... It’s thematically strong enough to make us forget that it kind of functions as a fashion show. John Wayne would’ve hated this movie, and that’s all the more reason for us to like it.

Apr 12, 2024

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Foreign cinema often gave queer topics and queer stories more nuanced representation than American cinema. Strange Way of Life is Pedro Almodóvar’s latest in queer cinema and while it’s a well worn story, the gay perspective is a fascinating twist.

Rated: 4/4

Apr 7, 2024

Full Review

Rubén Rosario

MiamiArtZine

Sometimes the best gifts come in the smallest packages.

Mar 11, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

A man rides a horse across the desert that separates him from Bitter Creek. He comes to visit Sheriff Jake. Twenty-five years earlier, both the sheriff and Silva, the rancher who rides out to meet him, worked together as hired gunmen. Silva visits him with the excuse of reuniting with his friend from his youth, and they do indeed celebrate their meeting, but the next morning Sheriff Jake tells him that the reason for his trip is not to go down the memory lane of their old friendship.

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Screenwriter: Pedro Almodóvar, Pedro Almodóvar
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: El Deseo
Rating: R (Language|Bloody Images|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Western, LGBTQ+, Short
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 4, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 13, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $503.8K
Runtime: 31m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Most Popular at Home Now