In the original Spanish, the title is Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios . While "nervous breakdown" is the literal English translation, it doesn't quite capture the Spanish
Pepa, a voice-over actress, is dumped by her lover, Iván, via an answering machine message.
The "story" of the film is ultimately about .
While trying to track him down, her apartment becomes "Grand Central Station" for a group of eccentric strangers.
In Spanish culture, an ataque de nervios is a specific psychological phenomenon: a dramatic, outward explosion of emotion—screaming, crying, or even fainting—usually triggered by bad news.
If you're looking for the story within the movie, it’s a colorful, chaotic comedy set in 1980s Madrid.