What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedParallel Mothers
Pedro Almodóvar · Film · 2021
If you loved Parallel Mothers, start with Mildred Pierce (2011) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Parallel Mothers across media.
If you loved Parallel Mothers, you were likely drawn to its unflinching exploration of how maternal bonds are forged through secrets and trauma.
Books on the same thread
Pieces of Her
Karin Slaughter · Book
Explores: hidden past, maternal secrets, identity crisis.
Like the revelation-heavy narrative of Parallel Mothers, this thriller centers on the discovery of a mother's hidden past and the profound impact those secrets have on her daughter's identity.
Elena Knows
Claudia Piñeiro · Book · 2021
Explores: Grief, Dementia, Mother-Daughter Relationship.
Fans of Parallel Mothers will recognize the intense, complex mother-daughter dynamic here, as a determined parent navigates grief and social hypocrisy to uncover the truth about her child's life.
Amongst Women
John McGahern · Book · 1991
Explores: generational trauma, patriarchal authority, post-war disillusionment.
This family saga mirrors the intergenerational trauma found in Parallel Mothers, examining how the weight of the past and repressed memories shape the relationships between parents and their children.
The Bean Trees
Barbara Kingsolver · Book · 1988
Shares a thread with Parallel Mothers: motherhood.
Parallel Mothers explores the unconventional paths to motherhood, a theme echoed here as a woman builds a found family and navigates the challenges of raising a child against all odds.
Series on the same thread
Mildred Pierce
Series · 2011
Shares a thread with Parallel Mothers: Melodrama.
This domestic drama explores the same fraught, overprotective maternal instincts seen in Parallel Mothers, highlighting the friction and sacrifice inherent in the complex relationship between a mother and her daughter.
Maid
Molly Smith Metzler · Series · 2021
Explores: Single Motherhood, Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, Resilience.
If you appreciated the resilience of the protagonists in Parallel Mothers, you will connect with this story of a single mother fighting to break cycles of hardship for her child.
Locked Up
Álex Pina · Series · 2015
Explores: Innocence Imprisoned, Survival, Betrayal.
Much like the tense atmosphere of Parallel Mothers, this thriller places a woman in a high-stakes struggle where betrayal and the need for survival redefine her personal world and future.
Better Things
Pamela Adlon · Series · 2016
Explores: single motherhood, female perspective, raising teenagers.
This dramedy offers a contemporary look at the daily realities of motherhood, paralleling the honest, unfiltered female perspective that makes the characters in Parallel Mothers feel so intensely real.
Podcasts on the same thread
Beyond the Bump
Sophie Pearce & Jayde Couldwell · Podcast
Shares a thread with Parallel Mothers: motherhood.
The candid discussions found in Parallel Mothers are mirrored in this podcast, which provides a necessary space for women to process the difficult, authentic realities of their modern parenting journeys.
Glass
Podcast
Shares a thread with Parallel Mothers: identity.
This narrative mirrors the personal, introspective nature of Parallel Mothers by exploring how family secrets and the challenges of fertility deeply influence a woman's sense of self and identity.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Parallel Mothers a movie about two women who meet in a hospital?
Yes, Parallel Mothers follows Janis and Ana, two unmarried women who meet in a hospital room while about to give birth. Janis is in her late-thirties and happy about her pregnancy, while the teenager Ana is frightened and remorseful about her own accidental pregnancy.
What is the premise of the film Parallel Mothers?
Parallel Mothers centers on two unmarried women who become pregnant by accident. After meeting in a hospital room, their lives become intertwined as they prepare for childbirth under very different circumstances, with Janis feeling unrepentant and the younger Ana feeling scared and full of regret.
Are the main characters in Parallel Mothers both adults?
No, the main characters in Parallel Mothers are at different life stages. Janis is a woman in her late-thirties who is unrepentant about her pregnancy, while the other mother, Ana, is a teenager who is frightened and remorseful about her accidental pregnancy.
Does Parallel Mothers focus on unmarried women?
Yes, Parallel Mothers focuses on two unmarried women who meet in a hospital room while about to give birth. The story explores their accidental pregnancies and contrasting emotional states, as Janis is happy and unrepentant, while the teenager Ana is remorseful and frightened.