Overview
A woman's emotional unraveling leads to unexpected connections and revelations in a chaotic Madrid.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- frantic
- movie night
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Pedro Almodóvar's feminist, brightly stylized black comedy as an inventive and highly entertaining breakthrough with richly rewarding ensemble performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film is noted for its gaudy, highly saturated palette and visually heightened interiors.
Pepa's search for Iván intersects with Lucía, Carlos, Candela, and others as their lives prove unexpectedly connected.
Pepa, Lucía, Candela, Marisa, and Paulina drive the film's conflicts and relationships, with the critical consensus explicitly identifying its feminist vein.
The film combines breakup anguish, terrorism, attempted suicide, slapstick, and romantic farce in an irreverent register.
Films like Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and why
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
shares exuberant color, romantic chaos, blackly comic coincidence, and a female-centered ensemble structure
Mildred Pierce
shares flamboyant visual design, irreverent melodrama, sexual entanglements, and women navigating unstable relationships
The Philadelphia Story
shares screwball pacing, interwoven romantic complications, and escalating comic misunderstandings
The Favourite
shares colorful stylization, dark humor, female friendship, and emotionally heightened relationship drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Pedro Almodóvar
- Release Date
- 1988-03-25
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (1035)
Cast
- Carmen Maura
- Antonio Banderas
- Julieta Serrano
- María Barranco
- Rossy de Palma
- Kiti Mánver
- Guillermo Montesinos
- Chus Lampreave
- Eduardo Calvo
- Loles León
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown about?
- A heartbroken actress races through Madrid to reach her vanished lover while a cascade of women, secrets, and absurd coincidences turns romantic despair into riotous comedy.
- What is Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown as mild.
- What did critics think of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown?
- Critics broadly regard Pedro Almodóvar's feminist, brightly stylized black comedy as an inventive and highly entertaining breakthrough with richly rewarding ensemble performances.
- Which films are like Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown?
- Films with a similar feel include The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Mildred Pierce, The Philadelphia Story, and The Favourite.
- How long is Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown?
- Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown?
- In United States, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
