Parallel Mothers
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar7.196%78%6.8
Two unmarried women who have become pregnant by accident and are about to give birth meet in a hospital room: Janis, in her late-thirties, unrepentant and happy; Ana, a teenager, remorseful and frightened.
Where to Watch Parallel Mothers
Parallel Mothers Ratings & Reviews
- Kevin WardJuly 14, 2025It was kind of fitting that I watched this the same day they announced The Maury Povich Show is ending. The drama here has the emotional swings of an entire season of a daytime soap opera. Penélope Cruz is exquisite in every sense of the word and might be my rooting interest for the Oscars this weekend. I don’t want to give too much away about the plot because it’s twists and turns are one of the aspects of the film I liked best. It’s bookended with a narrative thread where Janis (Cruz) is attempting to have a mass grave excavated where her great-grandfather was believed to be buried at the hands of a fascist regime. While there are parallels 😜 drawn between the main story and these bookends, they still feel very disconnected and merely tacked on. Still a really enjoyable watch.
- SpanktacularNovember 26, 2025Tremendous drama about motherhood and family history. Brilliantly written, performed, and directed. Did not expect to be as moved as I was.
- Gabriel Ruas Santos Rocha (read below)June 1, 2025Another gem by Almodóvar, worth every minute.
Watch Parallel Mothers Videos
Parallel Mothers Trivia
Parallel Mothers was released on October 8, 2021.
Parallel Mothers was directed by Pedro Almodóvar.
Parallel Mothers has a runtime of 2h 3m.
Parallel Mothers was produced by Agustín Almodóvar.
The key characters in Parallel Mothers are Janis (Penélope Cruz), Ana (Milena Smit), Arturo (Israel Elejalde).
Parallel Mothers is rated R.
Parallel Mothers is a Drama film.
Parallel Mothers has an audience rating of 7.8 out of 10.