Overview
Two young women from a traditional gypsy community discover love and defy expectations in a world that seeks to keep them apart.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- intimate
- serious
- tender
- quiet evening
- independent film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a sensitive, socially grounded LGBTQ romantic drama with strong performances and cultural specificity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Carmen and Lola's relationship conflicts with the Romani community's prescribed roles for women and expectations of heterosexual marriage.
Lola dreams of attending university while Carmen is expected to marry and raise children.
Lola draws bird graffiti, linking her creative practice to her desire for freedom beyond social constraints.
The girls' growing complicity leads to rejection by their families and places their relationship within a wider communal conflict.
Films like Carmen & Lola, and why
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
socially constrained queer romance with intimate realism and family opposition
Blue Is the Warmest Color
tender lesbian coming-of-age romance confronting conservative community expectations
Pariah
grounded romantic drama about queer identity, cultural pressure, and self-determination
Movie Details
- Director
- Arantxa Echevarría
- Release Date
- 2018-09-07
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (185)
Cast
- Rosy Rodriguez
- Zaira Romero
- Moreno Borja
- Rafaela León
- Carolina Yuste
- Juan José Jiménez
- Jacqueline Jiménez
- Lucas Heredia
- Sandra Toral
- Carolina África
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Brew
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, MovieMe
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Carmen & Lola about?
- Two young Romani women in Madrid risk family rejection to pursue a forbidden love and more self-determined futures.
- What is Carmen & Lola like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Carmen & Lola as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Carmen & Lola violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Carmen & Lola as mild.
- What did critics think of Carmen & Lola?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a sensitive, socially grounded LGBTQ romantic drama with strong performances and cultural specificity.
- Which films are like Carmen & Lola?
- Films with a similar feel include The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Blue Is the Warmest Color, and Pariah.
- How long is Carmen & Lola?
- Carmen & Lola runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Carmen & Lola?
- In United States, Carmen & Lola streams on Brew.
