Over the course of a single night, Pepa’s penthouse becomes a revolving door of the deranged: Iván’s furious, taxi-driving ex-wife (the legendary Lucia Bosè); their disturbed, real-estate-terrorist son; a refrigerator full of spiked gazpacho; and a group of hostage-taking Shiite terrorists.
More importantly, it established the definitive "Almodóvar Girl" ( chica Almodóvar )—complex, resilient, flawed women who drive the narrative forward. The film proved that stories centered entirely on the female psyche could be universally appealing, hilarious, and commercially viable on a global scale.
Pepa’s friend who is terrified she’s accidentally become an accomplice to a Shiite terrorist plot.
At the Goyas, the Spanish Academy’s influence was so significant that the film won five of its sixteen nominations, including the major categories for Best Picture, Best Actress (Carmen Maura), and Best Supporting Actress (María Barranco). These awards were crucial in establishing Almodóvar as a serious, mainstream director within Spain, following his earlier, more underground work. Mujeres Al Borde De Un Ataque De Nervios - Wome...
Pepa’s best friend, Candela (María Barranco), arrives in total panic because she has inadvertently harbored a cell of Shiite terrorists. Concurrently, Iván’s son Carlos (Antonio Banderas) and his deeply snobbish, puritanical fiancée Marissa (Rossy de Palma) show up at the apartment, entirely unaware that Pepa is the ex-mistress of Carlos’s father.
: Iván’s stuttering son, who coincidentally arrives to inspect Pepa's apartment for rent.
timeline title A Timeline of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" section 1988 25th March : Film premieres in Spain<br>after completing production : Becomes a massive<br>box office success section 1989 Spring : Wins 5 Goya Awards including<br>Best Film & Best Actress (Carmen Maura) : Nominated for Academy Award<br>for Best Foreign Language Film section 2017 February : Director-approved special edition released<br>by The Criterion Collection section 2018 30th Anniversary : Widely celebrated by critics<br>for its lasting relevance Over the course of a single night, Pepa’s
The primary setting is Pepa's stunning penthouse apartment—a luxury space with a working chicken coop on the terrace. This sharp contrast (luxury versus the rustic) creates a fascinating, almost surreal environment. Almodóvar purposely designed the colors and lighting to feel exaggerated, a world “about to be premiered,” as he put it. This visual approach transforms the small, claustrophobic apartment into a playground of emotional expression.
It visually represents the literal "nervous breakdown" threatening to consume the cast. The Penthouse as a Stage
The narrative centers on (Carmen Maura), a television actress whose life unravels when her lover, Iván, leaves her a breakup message on her answering machine. As she frantically tries to track him down, her penthouse apartment becomes the stage for a series of increasingly absurd encounters: Pepa’s friend who is terrified she’s accidentally become
: Carlos’s severe, virginal fiancée who accidentally drinks spiked gazpacho and sleeps through most of the crisis.
Her chaotic day intertwines with several other women: