Parallel Mothers

Janis, a photographer in her late thirties, and Ana, a teenager, are both single and both pregnant by accident. They meet shortly before giving birth, when they end up in the same hospital room. Janis is untroubled and cheerful about what lies ahead, while Ana is frightened and full of regret, and finds little support from her mother Teresa. The few words the two women exchange during those hours create a close bond between them. After they leave the hospital, a coincidence upends both of their lives.

Pedro Almodóvar wrote and directed the film, the nineteenth of the twenty-two features listed for him in chronological order, following The Human Voice and preceding Strange Way of Life. Penélope Cruz plays Janis, with Milena Smit as Ana and Israel Elejalde as Arturo; Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Rossy de Palma and Julieta Serrano also appear. Agustín Almodóvar produced.

The Spanish drama runs 123 minutes and was released in October 2021. Made for a budget of about 11 million dollars, it took roughly 23 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.1 out of 10 from around 40,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.8 from just over a thousand votes. A critics' rating of 8.1 from 231 reviews places it clearly above both audience scores.