Movie · 1988 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 28m · R · Spanish
Curator score: 9.0/10 (263.9K ratings)
A comedy about someone you know.
Overview
After being dumped by her lover, Pepa finds her life and the lives of those around her spiraling out of control in a deliciously chaotic series of events.
Ratings
Curator score: 9.0/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Letterboxd: 4.11/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 85
TMDB: 7.4/10
Director
Pedro Almodóvar
Production
El Deseo, Laurenfilm
Cast
Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano, María Barranco, Rossy de Palma, Kiti Mánver, Guillermo Montesinos, Chus Lampreave, Eduardo Calvo, Loles León, Ángel de Andrés López, Fernando Guillén, Juan Lombardero, José Antonio Navarro, Ana Leza, Mary González, Lupe Barrado, Joaquín Climent, Chema Gil, Gabriel Latorre
Curator Review
Verdict
A bright, fast-moving farce that turns heartbreak into escalating comic mayhem, with vivid color, sharp timing, and a distinctly Almodóvarian mix of melodrama and absurdity. It’s stylish, playful, and emotionally alive even when the plot is deliberately unruly.
Best for
fans of chaotic ensemble comedies
viewers who like melodrama with a camp edge
people drawn to bold color and visual style
audiences who enjoy breakup stories turned farce
fans of international cinema with a playful tone
Skip if
you want a restrained or realistic comedy
you dislike heightened performances and plot chaos
you prefer quiet character studies over farce
you’re not in the mood for theatrical, highly stylized storytelling
Overview
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a breakup comedy that keeps mutating into something bigger, stranger, and funnier. What starts as one woman waiting for a call becomes a chain reaction of lies, misunderstandings, romantic disasters, and pure comic panic, all staged with remarkable confidence.
Worth noting
Pedro Almodóvar leans into saturated color, brisk pacing, and a sense that every room contains a new emotional emergency. The film is very funny, but it also has real feeling underneath the chaos, especially in the way it treats loneliness, desire, and the absurd rituals people use to keep themselves together.
Bottom line
Carmen Maura anchors the madness with a performance that is both frantic and controlled, while the supporting cast turns every detour into a punchline or a revelation. It’s one of those films that feels both carefully designed and gloriously out of control, which is exactly why it works.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Nico Vargas (5★) · 8374 likes
- Tomate- Pepino- Pimiento- Cebolla- Una puntita de ajo- Aceite- Sal- Vinagre- Pan duro- Agua
El secreto está en mezclarlo bien.
1996 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 59m · R · Curator 7.8/10 (359.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A polished farce with big personalities, rapid-fire misunderstandings, and a strong sense of theatrical fun.
1994 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 1h 46m · R · Curator 4.7/10 (45.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Paramount Plus Essential, Netflix Standard with Ads
A sharp, bittersweet comedy about loneliness, fantasy, and the messy need to reinvent oneself.