Academy Award nominee. Two pregnant women – fortysomething photographer Janice (Penélope Cruz) and teenager Ana (Milena Smit) – share a room in a maternity hospital. The brief moment of kinship, forged through shared confidences, will bond them in ways they could never imagine. Parallel Mothers is a story that is carried on an unexpected swell of optimism. Everything from the joyous colour palette to the Hitchcockian bustle of the score, gives a sense of promise and propulsion. But most of all, it’s Cruz who sets the tone, with a performance that radiates warmth and is refreshingly forgiving of her character’s flaws. She has never been better.—Observer (UK)

 “If you’re already a fan of Almodovar’s work this is essential viewing; if you haven’t been introduced to his very special world before, Parallel Mothers will be a great place to start.”—The Australian

“The somber meets the surreal in a gorgeous movie with one of Penelope Cruz’s best performances.”—Chicago Sun-Times