---
title: "Parallel Mothers"
year: 2021
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/parallel-mothers"
fi1m_id: "parallel-mothers"
imdb_id: "tt12618926"
tmdb_id: 766798
wikidata_id: "Q106103421"
fi1m_score: 82
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 24
published: "2026-10-03T02:18:33.323777+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T02:18:43.224669+00:00"
region: "PH"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Parallel Mothers (2021)

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar · 2h 03m · Drama

## Identity

Parallel Mothers

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/parallel-mothers
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** parallel-mothers
- **IMDb ID:** tt12618926
- **TMDB ID:** 766798
- **Wikidata ID:** Q106103421
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12618926/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/766798, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106103421

**Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 83 from 24 reviews

*In a sentence:* Penélope Cruz makes keeping quiet look exhausting

> Pedro Almodóvar’s drama of motherhood and Spain’s past is warm, moving and occasionally untidy. The middle drifts, but Penélope Cruz makes Janis’s distress difficult to dismiss.

## Synopsis

Motherhood connects the lives of Janis (Penélope Cruz) and Ana (Milena Smit), while family secrets complicate their relationship. Their story also involves Teresa (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón). Janis faces deception and its consequences as questions of care and responsibility become entangled with the search for personal truth. The families’ private lives unfold against the unresolved legacy of the Spanish Civil War, with Spain’s past continuing to shape the present. The women contend with loss, difficult loyalties and the things people choose not to tell one another.

## Review

*Parallel Mothers* is a moving, occasionally untidy melodrama, and we recommend it for the women at its centre. Pedro Almodóvar brings motherhood and family secrecy into contact with the unresolved damage of the Spanish Civil War. That is a considerable amount for one drama to carry, and the two stories do not always sit comfortably together. What keeps the film persuasive is Penélope Cruz, who makes Janis worth attending to even when the plotting begins to feel more complicated than it needs to be.

The screenplay gives Janis plenty to endure, but Penélope Cruz never treats suffering as an automatic claim on our sympathy. We were moved by how quietly she plays devastation, particularly in the wordless exchanges between the leads. She lets us see the effort of containing distress without making every reaction a demand to be noticed. Milena Smit, as Ana, has the presence to make those exchanges feel shared. The attention passes between the women, and neither performance requires a speech to make the relationship matter.

Pedro Almodóvar’s screenplay has the confidence to use the contrivances of melodrama without apologising for them. A few disclosures are easy to anticipate, but knowing roughly where a story is going does not make the people in it less interesting. The warmth between the women helps us accept developments that might otherwise seem merely convenient, because their responses remain believable even when their circumstances strain belief. There is pleasure in watching a film take complicated feelings seriously without requiring everybody to behave sensibly.

Antxón Gómez’s vivid décor gives the film much of its immediate appeal, with the surroundings contributing to the heightened mood. José Luis Alcaine’s cinematography makes that visual richness pleasurable without allowing it to overwhelm the performances. The women’s faces still hold our attention, which matters in a drama where so much is happening without words. The emphatic surroundings also make the actors’ restraint effective: nothing requires them to match the décor, and their quiet exchanges benefit from that freedom.

Teresa Font’s editing is less successful at maintaining the pull of the story through the middle section. Some passages take longer than their emotional weight warrants, and the film begins to seem as though it is waiting for its next disclosure. Alberto Iglesias’s score helps, giving the drama an insistence that suits the material, although music cannot entirely repair the loss of pace. At 123 minutes, there is room for these relationships to develop, but a little less time spent arranging their complications would have helped.

The Spanish Civil War strand gives the family drama a seriousness that extends beyond the immediate troubles of Janis and Ana. Pedro Almodóvar does not always make the connection feel natural, but his concern with how old harm continues to affect families belongs here. His sympathy for the women keeps the history from becoming merely a lesson delivered over their heads, even when the shifts between the stories feel awkward. Leave time afterwards for an argument about what people owe one another.

*Fi1m score 82, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics warmly receive Parallel Mothers, praising Almodóvar’s emotionally direct melodrama and its connection between motherhood and Spain’s unresolved Civil War history. Penélope Cruz attracts the clearest agreement: the reviews repeatedly credit her with grounding the story’s more extravagant turns through quiet intensity, empathy and emotional complexity. Praise also gathers around the women’s relationships, the vivid visual design and the film’s treatment of loss and remembrance, with many finding its political concerns inseparable from its personal stories.

The spread is chiefly one of enthusiasm rather than approval versus rejection, with reservations concentrated on cohesion, pacing and familiarity. Empire finds the middle less gripping, while The Hollywood Reporter notes predictable disclosures but still finds the drama satisfying. Eye for Film is less persuaded by the handling of history, finding it tonally weaker, though it praises Milena Smit and José Luis Alcaine’s cinematography; most critics regard the historical dimension as a strength.

## Straight answers

**Is Parallel Mothers worth watching?**

*Parallel Mothers* is worth watching for its moving performances and warm treatment of complicated loyalties; we score it 82 out of 100. Penélope Cruz makes Janis’s contained distress particularly affecting, though we find the middle slow and the connection between family secrets and Spain’s unresolved past occasionally awkward.

**How long is Parallel Mothers, and what is it rated?**

*Parallel Mothers* runs 2h 03m. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch Parallel Mothers in the Philippines?**

*Parallel Mothers* is not on any streaming or rental service in the Philippines at the moment. It is available in 28 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Parallel Mothers, and is it suitable for children?**

*Parallel Mothers* has a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children under 15. Its themes include loss, deception and the unresolved damage of the Spanish Civil War, with quietly played emotional distress central to its impact. The certificate sets the age threshold, but we cannot give a more specific warning about violence or frightening imagery.

**How does Parallel Mothers compare to Secrets & Lies?**

*Parallel Mothers* offers heightened melodrama and a historical strand, while [*Secrets & Lies*](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies) finds humour and pain in difficult family conversations. We recommend both for performances that make revelations believable through affection and embarrassment. *Secrets & Lies* is the better choice for humour alongside family distress; *Parallel Mothers* suits an appetite for vivid décor and broader historical concerns, though its storytelling is occasionally untidy.

**What should I watch after Parallel Mothers?**

After *Parallel Mothers*, try [*Secrets & Lies*](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies) (1996, Fi1m 88): Family revelations made believable by performances that leave room for embarrassment and affection. Then [*The Official Story*](https://film.one/film/the-official-story) (1985, Fi1m 81): A mother’s questions open onto a country’s refusal to face its past; and [*Ida*](https://film.one/film/ida) (2013, Fi1m 85): A quieter search through family history and the damage people leave unspoken.

### Reviews we read (24)

- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (5/5): Calhoun presents the film as a haunting, resonant exploration of Spain’s past and present. He singles out Penélope Cruz’s magnificent performance. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/parallel-mothers-2021)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (95/100, inferred): Jenkins regards the film as one of Almodóvar’s finest, praising its emotional depth and assured filmmaking. He especially singles out Penélope Cruz’s performance as extraordinary and emotionally powerful. [Read](https://lwlies.com/festivals/parallel-mothers-venice-film-festival-review)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (90/100, inferred): Chang gives the film a strongly admiring verdict, praising how Almodóvar intertwines motherhood with the legacy of the Spanish Civil War. He singles out Penélope Cruz’s radiant, complex performance as the story’s emotional center. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-12-23/parallel-mothers-review-penelope-cruz-pedro-almodovar)
- **The AV Club**, Leila Latif (A-): Latif calls the film an outstanding melodrama and praises the trust between Almodóvar and Cruz. Cruz’s performance is singled out for its ability to convey Janis’s devastation with quiet intensity. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/penelope-cruz-reunites-with-pedro-almodovar-for-the-out-1848225910)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (90/100, inferred): Brody finds the film a breathless, politically urgent melodrama whose personal stories make historical memory essential. He especially praises Penélope Cruz’s focused performance and Almodóvar’s vivid, documentary-like treatment of the mass-grave excavation. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/parallel-mothers-reviewed-a-breathless-romance-sparked-by-a-fight-for-historical-truth)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (90/100, inferred): Gleiberman finds the film moving and emotionally grounded, calling it Almodóvar’s best since All About My Mother. He praises its transporting final unification of motherhood’s life force with the history of Franco-era atrocities. [Read](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/parallel-mothers-review-penelope-cruz-pedro-almodovar-1235053525/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (3.5/4): The critic calls it one of Almodóvar’s most robust and moving melodramas, praising how it intertwines personal family stories with Spain’s history. He particularly singles out the film’s layered cross-associations and vivid décor as ways of revealing how the past shapes the present. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/parallel-mothers-review-pedro-almodovar/)
- **IndieWire**, Nicholas Barber (B+): Barber finds the film breezy and inviting, though its familiar melodrama does not grip as strongly as its storytelling charms. He praises the moving conclusion, which gives emotional weight to the story of Spanish Civil War disappearances. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/parallel-mothers-review-almodovar-cruz-1234661307/)
- **Empire**, Ian Freer (80/100, inferred): Freer finds the film terrifically entertaining, though its grip slackens in the middle. He especially praises Penélope Cruz, whose empathetic performance grounds the film’s outlandish turns. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/parallel-mothers/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (4/5): O'Sullivan calls the film naughty and knotty, ranking it among Almodóvar’s best work. She singles out Penélope Cruz’s performance as the force underpinning the film. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/parallel-mothers-movie-review-pedro-almodovar-penelope-cruz-b979061.html)
- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): The review finds the film gripping and emotionally satisfying as it combines melodrama with Spanish Civil War history. It particularly praises Penélope Cruz’s glowing performance as a woman coping with heartbreaking deception. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-d70atj/parallel-mothers/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (80/100, inferred): Rooney finds the melodrama gripping and emotionally satisfying, despite predictable disclosures and fewer intricately layered elements than Almodóvar’s finest work. He especially praises Penélope Cruz’s performance and the film’s sumptuous visual design. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/penelope-cruz-in-pedro-almodovars-parallel-mothers-madres-paralelas-1235006665/)
- **The Guardian**, Xan Brooks (75/100, inferred): Brooks finds the film turbulent but generous, ultimately hopeful, despite some ingredients not quite gelling. He praises its warm celebration of female solidarity and its ambition in connecting family secrets with Spain’s violent past. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/01/parallel-mothers-review-pedro-almodovar-penelope-cruz-venice-film-festival)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (75/100, inferred): Dargis’s review is positive about Almodóvar’s melodrama and its intertwining of personal and historical stories. It singles out the film’s women and their relationships for praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/movies/parallel-mothers-review.html)
- **Screen Daily**, Lee Marshall (70/100, inferred): The standfirst presents the film as a powerful story of loss and remembrance. It highlights that story as the film’s central strength. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/parallel-mothers-venice-review/5162901.article)
- **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (70/100, inferred): Newland finds the melodrama warm and deeply felt, though overstuffed and messy. She singles out Penélope Cruz’s career-best performance for praise. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/parallel-mothers-pedro-almodovar-venice-film-festival-review-penelope-cruz-delivers-a-career-best-in-queer-melodrama-1178590?ico=in-line_link)
- **Film Comment**, Manuel Yáñez Murillo (65/100, inferred): The standfirst presents the film’s search for personal and historical truth as its driving force. It singles out the film’s openly political focus, but the available text does not reveal a fuller verdict. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/secrets-and-lies-parallel-mothers-pedro-almodovar/)
- **The Skinny**, Anahit Behrooz (★★★★★): The review calls the film an audacious, radically human work that balances melodrama with political maturity. It praises Almodóvar’s restrained handling of the women’s emotional lives and the film’s probing of historical memory. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/parallel-mothers)
- **Deadline**, Stephanie Bunbury (90/100, inferred): Bunbury calls the film a triumph, praising Almodóvar’s delicate handling of love, loss and historical trauma. She also singles out its emotionally powerful score and wallop of an ending. [Read](https://deadline.com/2021/09/parallel-mothers-review-pedro-almodovar-penelope-cruz-1234825586/)
- **Paste**, Natalia Keogan (8.8): Keogan finds the film a deeply political and emotionally devastating reckoning with Spain’s history. She praises Penélope Cruz’s performance and the film’s sensitive treatment of unresolved family and national trauma. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/pedro-almodovar/parallel-mothers-review)
- **/Film**, Marshall Shaffer (8.5/10): Shaffer finds the film both a familiar Almodóvar work and a meaningful artistic evolution. He especially praises how it connects the director’s recurring themes to Spain’s unresolved Civil War trauma and women’s strength. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/601485/parallel-mothers-review-director-pedro-almodovar-gets-both-familiar-and-evolutionary-venice-2021/)
- **NME** (80/100, inferred): The review finds Almodóvar’s melodrama politically weighty and ultimately hopeful. It particularly praises Penélope Cruz’s performance and the film’s compassionate treatment of motherhood and historical memory. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/parallel-mothers-review-pedro-almodovar-3149305)
- **Eye for Film**, Andrew Robertson (75/100, inferred): Robertson finds the film richly rewarding for Almodóvar fans, though its approach to history is tonally weaker. He particularly praises Milena Smit’s presence and José Luis Alcaine’s cinematography. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/parallel-mothers-2021-film-review-by-andrew-robertson)
- **The Wrap** (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film rougher and less cohesive than Almodóvar’s recent work, but exciting in its ambition and vitality. They praise the director’s visual craft and the performances, especially the leads’ wordless exchanges. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/parallel-mothers-film-review-pedro-almodovar-penelope-cruz-madres-paralelas/)

## Details

- **Director:** Pedro Almodóvar
- **Director:** Pedro Almodóvar
- **Screenplay:** Pedro Almodóvar
- **Cinematography:** José Luis Alcaine
- **Editor:** Teresa Font
- **Music:** Alberto Iglesias
- **Production design:** Antxón Gómez
- **Producer:** Agustín Almodóvar
- **Cast:** Penélope Cruz as Janis; Milena Smit as Ana; Israel Elejalde as Arturo; Aitana Sánchez-Gijón as Teresa; Rossy de Palma as Elena; Julieta Serrano as Brígida; Arantxa Aranguren; Adelfa Calvo
- **Runtime:** 2h 03m
- **First release (Italy):** 1 September 2021
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Budget:** $11 million
- **Box office:** $23 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37w22jtmdRo

## Where to watch in the Philippines

Not streaming, renting or buying in the Philippines at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, IN, IT, JP, KR, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- European Film Award for Best Actress 2022: European Film Award for Best Actress (nominated)
- Goya Award for Best Film 2022: Goya Award for Best Film (nominated)
- Premio Feroz for Best Drama 2022: Premio Feroz for Best Drama (nominated)
- Premio Feroz for Best Original Soundtrack 2022: Premio Feroz for Best Original Soundtrack (won)
- Premio Feroz for Best Supporting Actress 2022: Premio Feroz for Best Supporting Actress (won)
- Volpi Cup for Best Actress 2021: Volpi Cup for Best Actress (won)

## If you liked this

- *Secrets & Lies* (1996), Fi1m 88: Family revelations made believable by performances that leave room for embarrassment and affection — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies.md)
- *The Official Story* (1985), Fi1m 81: A mother’s questions open onto a country’s refusal to face its past — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-official-story.md)
- *Like Father, Like Son* (2013): Another searching family drama about what makes someone a parent
- *Ida* (2013), Fi1m 85: A quieter search through family history and the damage people leave unspoken — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ida.md)
- *Petite Maman* (2021), Fi1m 88: Motherhood across generations, told with fewer complications and just as much tenderness — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/petite-maman.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/parallel-mothers