Parallel Mothers

Two single women meet in a hospital room where they are both going to give birth. Janis is middle aged and does not regret it, while Ana is adolescent and scared. The two women form a strong bond with one another as they both confront motherhood.

In February 2021 it was announced that Pedro Almodóvar was ready to direct his new film entitled Madres paralelas, with a cast headed by Penélope Cruz, Israel Elejalde, Julieta Serrano and Rossy de Palma.[4] On 12 March 2021, it was reported that Pedro Almodóvar intended to integrate Anya Taylor-Joy into the main cast of the film.[5]

Principal photography began on 12 March 2021 in Madrid, Spain,[6][7][8] and concluded on 22 April 2021.[9] Shooting locations included Madrid, Torrelaguna and Torremocha de Jarama.[10] Produced by El Deseo and Remotamente Films AIE with the support of RTVE and Netflix, the movie also received funding from the ICAA.[11]

On 4 February 2021, Pathé acquired the UK distribution rights to the film.[12] On 23 April 2021, Sony Pictures Classics acquired the US, Australian and New Zealand distribution rights to the film.[13] The film had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 2021.[14] Distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia, it was theatrically released in Spain on 8 October 2021.[15][16] It is scheduled to be released in the United States on 24 December 2021.[17] It is scheduled to be released in the UK on 28 January 2022, and will be the first movie released under Pathé's new term deal with Warner Bros. Pictures along with The Duke, after their distribution agreement with Disney expired in June 2021.[18]

Its theatrical release poster, featuring a lactating nipple, was removed from Instagram due to its rules regarding nudity. The decision was criticized by the "free the nipple" movement, leading to an apology from Instagram.[19]

Netflix acquired the exclusive distribution rights for the Latin-American region, aiming for an early 2022 release, even if theatrical openings were not ruled out at the time of the announcement.[20] Should the film only stream in Latin-America, it will become the first Almódovar feature without a theatrical release in the region.[21]

At its opening night world premiere, the movie received a nine-minute standing ovation from Venice Film Festival attendees in the Sala Grande.[22] It was submitted to be the Spanish entry to the 94th Academy Awards alongside Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea and The Good Boss, but the latter film was the final official selection.[23]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 45 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 8.40/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A brilliant forum for Penélope Cruz's talent, Parallel Mothers reaffirms the familiar pleasures of Almodóvar's filmmaking while proving he's still capable of growth."[24] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."[25]

• List of Spanish films of 2021

• Parallel Mothers at IMDb