Almodóvar and Banderas. A dramedy about the kidnapping of a porn star by an unstable mental patient.

• I promised to come back and protect you.

• Many men have promised me that.

• But I’m here to prove it.

While emotional provocateur Pedro Almodóvar continues to share personal memories of a bitter Christmas in Lanzarote, we have an excellent reason to revisit one of his key films. Back then, the partnership between Almodóvar and Banderas in Spain was as iconic as Scorsese’s and De Niro’s in America. Almodóvar discovered the struggling stage actor Antonio Banderas, who quickly became a global star. Many agree that this film gave Banderas one of his most memorable early roles.

Ricky, a former psychiatric patient, becomes obsessed with Marina, a film actress battling addiction and emotional struggles. Believing that love can grow through care and persistence, Ricky holds her captive in an attempt to forge a connection. Marina and Ricky go on to experience desire, loneliness, vulnerability, and the blurred boundaries between affection and control, all depicted with a disturbing tenderness.

When “Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!” premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1990, it split both critics and audiences, but cemented Almodóvar's international acclaim. This remains one of his most provocative comedies, blending heart, horror, sensuality, and dark humour into a stirringly unconventional love story.