18 Movies Directed by Pedro Almodèvar

Labyrinth of Passion

Labyrinth of Passion

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1982-09-29

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

100 min

Rated:

NOT RATED

IMDB Ratings:

6.4 (2572 Reviews)

Genres:

ComedyDrama

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar (screenplay)

Pedro Almodèvar (story)

Terry Lennox

Fullplot:

A camp melodrama/comedy about Sexilia (a nymphomaniac), Sadec (a gay Islamic terrorist), Riza Niro (the son of the emperor of Tiran), and Queti (the daughter of a dry-cleaner). When Riza Niro discovers that Sadec and his colleagues are after him, he disguises himself as a punk rocker, and falls in love with the stunning Sexilia, his first straight relationship. Meanwhile Queti, Sexilia's "biggest fan", helps Sexilia come to terms with her new life-style.

Dark Habits

Dark Habits

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1983-03-10

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

114 min

IMDB Ratings:

6.6 (4154 Reviews)

Genres:

ComedyDrama

Fullplot:

Yolanda sings in a seedy nightclub. When her boyfriend dies of an overdose, she fears the police and seeks refuge in a convent that saves women from the streets. These off-beat nuns include a heroin using abbess who loves Yolanda, one who writes romance novels under a pseudonym, another raising a tiger in the convent yard, and one who designs fabulous fashions and is in love with the local priest. They plan an evening extravaganza starring Yolanda to celebrate the abbess's birthday and to convince their wealthy patron not to abandon them.

What Have I Done to Deserve This?

What Have I Done to Deserve This?

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1985-03-30

Languages:

Spanish, German, English, French

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

101 min

IMDB Ratings:

7.2 (5917 Reviews)

Genres:

ComedyDrama

Fullplot:

In Madrid, the housewife Gloria lives in a tiny apartment with her husband, the taxi driver and forger Antonio; her lunatic mother-in-law, who is addicted in bottled water and cupcakes; and two teenage sons, one of them a drug dealer and the other gay. Gloria works as cleaning lady to raise some money for her dysfunctional family and is addicted in pills; her best friend is her neighbor, the call-girl Cristal. Antonio has a secret passion on a decadent German singer for whom he had worked as driver in Germany. A writer tries to convince Antonio to forge letters from Hitler and travels to Germany to meet the singer to invite her to participate in the scheme. Meanwhile Gloria delivers her gay son to a pervert dentist. Her mother-in-law finds a lizard while walking with her grandson on the street and they call it Dinero (Money) and bring it home. When Gloria has an argument with Antonio, she hits him on the head with a piece of wood, killing him. Now the police detectives investigate the murder case.

Matador

Matador

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1986-03-07

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

110 min

Rated:

NC-17

IMDB Ratings:

(7706 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar (story)

Jesès Ferrero (screenplay)

Pedro Almodèvar (screenplay)

Fullplot:

An ex-bullfighter who gets turned on by killing, a lady lawyer with the same fetish and a young man driven insane by his religious upbringing - these are the main characters in this stylish black comedy about dark sides of human nature.

Law of Desire

Law of Desire

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1987-03-05

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

102 min

Rated:

NC-17

IMDB Ratings:

7.2 (7046 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar (screenplay)

Pedro Almodèvar (story)

Fullplot:

Pablo and Tina have complicated sexual lives. Pablo writes and directs plays and films; he's gay and deeply in love with Juan, a young man who won't reply to Pablo's affection or letters. Pablo's sibling Tina is a transsexual, angry at men, raising Ada, and trying to make it as an actress. Pablo takes up with Antonio, a youth who becomes jealous of Pablo's love for Juan. Antonio seeks out Juan, and violence leads to Pablo's grief and a temporary loss of memory. When memory returns, he learns that Antonio has taken up with Tina. In horror, he hurries to Tina's rescue and must face Antonio and his desire.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1988-11-11

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

90 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.6 (23326 Reviews)

Genres:

ComedyDrama

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar (screenplay)

Pedro Almodèvar (story)

Fullplot:

A woman's lover leaves her, and she tries to contact him to find out why he's left. She confronts his wife and son, who are as clueless as she. Meanwhile her girlfriend is afraid the police are looking for her because of her boyfriend's criminal activities. They talk to a female lawyer, who turns out to be the lover's new lover, and everyone's path keeps crossing each other's in a very complicated and confusing manner.

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1990-04-12

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

101 min

Rated:

NC-17

IMDB Ratings:

(16336 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar (screenplay)

Pedro Almodèvar (story)

Fullplot:

Ricky is released from a mental hospital, and knows exactly what he wants to do. He hunts down Marina, a porn film star he once had sex with, and tries to convince her to be his wife. She is a bit reluctant, so he ties her up. Will this approach endear him to her?

High Heels

High Heels

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1991-12-20

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain, France

Runtime:

112 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.2 (9067 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar (screenplay)

Pedro Almodèvar (story)

Fullplot:

A girl's mother returns after 15 years to find her daughter has married one of her (the mother's) old boyfriends. They try to mend their broken mother/daughter relationship and deal with their common lover.

Kika

Kika

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1994-05-06

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain, France

Runtime:

114 min

Rated:

UNRATED

IMDB Ratings:

6.5 (8772 Reviews)

Genres:

Comedy

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar (screenplay)

Pedro Almodèvar (story)

Fullplot:

Kika, a young cosmetologist, is called to the mansion of Nicolas, an American writer to make-up the corpse of his stepson, Ramon. Ramon, who is not dead, is revived by Kika's attentions and she then moves in with him. They might live happily ever after but first they have to cope with Kika's affair with Nicolas, the suspicious death of Ramon's mother and the intrusive gaze of tabloid-TV star and Ramon's ex-psychologist Andrea Scarface.

The Flower of My Secret

The Flower of My Secret

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1996-03-08

Languages:

Spanish, French

Countries:

Spain, France

Runtime:

103 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.1 (7350 Reviews)

Genres:

Drama

Fullplot:

Leo Macias writes sentimental novels with great success but hidden under a pseudonym, Amanda Gris. She is unhappy with her professional life and with her husband, a soldier working in Brussels and Bosnia that is never at home. She will try anything to change her life.

Live Flesh

Live Flesh

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1998-01-16

Languages:

Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian

Countries:

Spain, France

Runtime:

103 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.5 (21424 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar

Jorge Guerricaechevarrèa

Ray Loriga

Ruth Rendell (novel)

Fullplot:

Pizza delivery man Victor is having an argument with Elena, whom he met a few days ago, but she was high then and doesn't want to hear about him. Reacting to the noise, two cops, young David and older Sancho, arrive at the scene, the gun accidentally goes off.. Four years later David is a wheelchair basketball star, he's married to Elena, Victor is released out of prison and their destinies begin to cross again.

All About My Mother

All About My Mother

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2000-03-31

Languages:

Spanish, Catalan

Countries:

Spain, France

Runtime:

101 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.9 (64521 Reviews)

Genres:

Drama

Fullplot:

Manuela is a hard-working single mom who has raised her son Esteban by herself since the time he was born. On his 17th birthday they go to the theater and after the show, Esteban tries to get the main actress' autograph but is run down on the street and dies. Manuela is beside herself with grief and decides to return to Barcelona to tell the boy's transgender father Lola, about the death of the son he never knew he had. He is nowhere to be found but Manuela does find an old friend, Agrado and meets up with a pregnant nun, Rosa. Together they form a life and become fast friends - until tragedy strikes again.

Bad Education

Bad Education

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2005-02-11

Languages:

Spanish, Latin

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

106 min

Rated:

NC-17

IMDB Ratings:

7.5 (42645 Reviews)

Fullplot:

Talk to Her

Talk to Her

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2003-02-14

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

112 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

(81391 Reviews)

Fullplot:

After a chance encounter at a theater, two men, Benigno and Marco, meet at a private clinic where Benigno works. Lydia, Marco's girlfriend and a bullfighter by profession, has been gored and is in a coma. It so happens that Benigno is looking after another woman in a coma, Alicia, a young ballet student. The lives of the four characters will flow in all directions, past, present and future, dragging all of them towards an unsuspected destiny.

Volver

Volver

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2007-01-26

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

121 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.6 (71442 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Pedro Almodèvar (screenplay)

Fullplot:

Raimunda, her daughter Paula and her sister Sole travel from Madrid to the windy and superstitious village of Alcanfor de las Infantas to visit the grave of their mother Irene, who died years ago in a fire with her husband. Then they visit Irene's sister Paula, an old senile aunt that raised Raimunda after the death of her parents that insists to tell them that Irene is alive and living with her; later, they go to the house of her neighbor and friend Agustina, who gives a support to Paula. They return to Madrid, and after a hard day of work, Raimunda meets her daughter completely distraught at the bus stop waiting for her. When they arrive home, Paula tells her mother that she killed her unemployed father Paco, who was completely drunk and tried to rape her. While Raimunda hides his body, Sole calls her to tell that their beloved aunt Paula has died. The next morning, Sole travels alone to the funeral, and when she returns to Madrid, she finds her mother hidden in the trunk of her car. She brings Irene to her apartment, where secrets from the past are disclosed.

Broken Embraces

Broken Embraces

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2010-01-15

Languages:

Spanish, English

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

127 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.2 (29185 Reviews)

Fullplot:

Passion, obsession, wealth, jealousy, family, guilt, and creativity. In Madrid, Harry Caine is a blind screenwriter, assisted by Judit and her son Diego. The past comes rushing in when Harry learns of the death of Ernesto Martel, a wealthy businessman, and Ernesto's son pays Harry a visit. In a series of flashbacks to the 1990s, we see Harry, who was then Mateo Blanco, a director; he falls in love with Ernesto's mistress, Lena, and casts her in a film, which Ernesto finances. Ernesto is jealous and obsessive, sending his son to film the making of the movie, to follow Lena and Mateo, and to give him the daily footage. Judit doesn't like Lena. It's a collision course.

The Skin I Live In

The Skin I Live In

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2011-09-02

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

120 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.6 (92564 Reviews)

Genres:

Thriller

Cast:

Writer:

Agustèn Almodèvar (collaboration)

Pedro Almodèvar

Thierry Jonquet (novel)

Fullplot:

In honor of his late wife who died in a flaming car accident, scientist, Dr. Robert Ledgard, is trying to synthesize the perfect skin which can withstand burns, cuts or any other kind of damage. As he gets closer to perfecting this skin on his flawless patient, the scientific community starts growing skeptical and his past is revealed that shows how his patient is closely linked to tragic events he would like to forget.

I'm So Excited!

I'm So Excited!

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2013-03-08

Languages:

Spanish

Countries:

Spain

Runtime:

90 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

5.6 (14949 Reviews)

Genres:

Comedy

Fullplot:

A technical failure has endangered the lives of the people on board Peninsula Flight 2549. The pilots are striving, along with their colleagues in the Control Center, to find a solution. The flight attendants and the chief steward are atypical, baroque characters who, in the face of danger, try to forget their own personal problems and devote themselves body and soul to the task of making the flight as enjoyable as possible for the passengers, while they wait for a solution. Life in the clouds is as complicated as it is at ground level, and for the same reasons, which could be summarized in two: sex and death.

Become a Movie Insider

Join our mailing list and get access to expert analysis, trivia, and recommendations that will elevate your movie-watching experience.

View our privacy policy.