Parallel Mothers

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 24, 2021

7.3	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 80 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

fredphoeshMay 15, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I thought the mass graves bit was very poorly delt with. I had no care for this part of the story, it really seemed like a point Almadovar wanted to make and stuck it in... Digging up the past, digging into DNA, digging into the truth... HMMM. nah, it was poor IMO. Performances good, but the heavy duty music score seemed like a desperate attempt to make something of this misjudged movie. I'd have preferred nothing about the mass graves. I'd really have preferred it to be a bit of a camp comedy instead of it trying to be serious but then having a rom-com type happy-ish ending... with the protagonists getting what they want. It came across as heavy-handed, pretentious and actually a bit tiresome.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

Brent_MarchantFeb 22, 2022

As I have stated previously on numerous occasions, I believe the worst sin a film can commit is predictability, and writer-director Pedro Almodovar's latest is hampered by this issue almost from the outset. After a sluggish and overlongAs I have stated previously on numerous occasions, I believe the worst sin a film can commit is predictability, and writer-director Pedro Almodovar's latest is hampered by this issue almost from the outset. After a sluggish and overlong opening sequence when the picture's setup is being established, there isn't one scene in this saga about two new mothers inextricably linked by their shared birth experiences that can't be seen coming from a mile away. The soap operatic tone and swirling overdramatic music accompanying its alleged "revelations" come across like feeble attempts at compensating for this shortcoming, but they're not enough to cover what can easily be seen from a distance. On top of this, the film's attempt at pairing this story thread with another that's almost entirely unrelated (save for some forced parallels involving ancestry and bloodline accuracy) makes for an especially odd mix (particularly since the secondary arc is actually more interesting than the first). Add to all that a wealth of needless padding brought on by excessive incidental dialogue and superfluous images, and you've got a movie that frequently drags in getting on with the story. In fact, about the only element that kept me invested in this release was the fine Oscar-nominated performance of Penelope Cruz, one of the few genuine assets this offering has going for it. Some have suggested that the director may be past his prime at this point in his career, and, based on this and his other two most recent works, "Julieta" (2016) and "Pain and Glory" (2019), I'd regrettably have to concur. This forgettable release is one that's easily skipped.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

AJ_13Feb 20, 2022

Despite enjoying some aspects such as Penelope's performance or the varied soundtrack by Alberto Iglesias, I felt somewhat lost during the viewing of Parallel Mothers.

I have not been able to connect with the central dramatic plot of theDespite enjoying some aspects such as Penelope's performance or the varied soundtrack by Alberto Iglesias, I felt somewhat lost during the viewing of Parallel Mothers.

I have not been able to connect with the central dramatic plot of the film which leaves me with a sense of indifference and that it could have been made more out of it. However, I was convinced by the historical memory related plot and I think it is undoubtedly the highlight of the film, despite its fleeting presence.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews