Parallel Mothers
Two mothers bound by a hospital-room encounter confront fractured family identity alongside Spain’s unresolved historical ghosts.
Overview
Two women from different walks of life find their lives intertwined in the most unexpected way during a life-changing moment.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- emotionally heightened
- tender
- tense
- arthouse film night
- spanish cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an emotionally powerful and ambitious Almodóvar drama, especially for its performances and fusion of intimate motherhood melodrama with Spain’s political memory.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Janis and Ana’s bond is transformed by pregnancy, motherhood, DNA testing, and the uncertainty surrounding their babies’ identities.
Janis investigates the disappearance of relatives during the Spanish Civil War and links private grief to the recovery of historical truth.
The chance meeting of two single mothers in a maternity ward develops into a decisive, complicated relationship.
The film’s maternal drama and political mourning are framed through Pedro Almodóvar’s polished, color-rich melodramatic aesthetic.
Films like Parallel Mothers, and why
Volver
shared Almodóvar melodrama, maternal bonds, concealed family histories, and emotionally heightened female characters
Julieta
shared intricate mother daughter relationships, painful secrets, and polished Spanish melodrama
The Secret in Their Eyes
shared intergenerational trauma, political memory, and women confronting buried histories
The Other Woman
shared switched-at-birth identity drama, maternal devotion, and emotionally charged family revelations
Movie Details
- Director
- Pedro Almodóvar
- Release Date
- 2021-10-08
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1065)
Cast
- Penélope Cruz
- Milena Smit
- Israel Elejalde
- Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
- Rossy de Palma
- Julieta Serrano
- Arantxa Aranguren
- Adelfa Calvo
- José Javier Domínguez
- Trinidad Iglesias
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Parallel Mothers about?
- Two mothers bound by a hospital-room encounter confront fractured family identity alongside Spain’s unresolved historical ghosts.
- What is Parallel Mothers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Parallel Mothers as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Parallel Mothers violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Parallel Mothers.
- What did critics think of Parallel Mothers?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an emotionally powerful and ambitious Almodóvar drama, especially for its performances and fusion of intimate motherhood melodrama with Spain’s political memory.
- Which films are like Parallel Mothers?
- Films with a similar feel include Volver, Julieta, The Secret in Their Eyes, and The Other Woman.
- How long is Parallel Mothers?
- Parallel Mothers runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Parallel Mothers?
- In United States, Parallel Mothers streams on Starz Apple TV channel.
