1. Volver (2006)
In "Volver," Cruz plays Raimunda, a resilient woman dealing with some heavy family baggage. She's juggling a lazy husband, a teenage daughter, and a sister who swears their dead mom is haunting her. Things get real complicated when Raimunda's husband tries to assault their daughter, Paula. The daughter kills him in self-defense, and Raimunda, ever the protective mom, hides the body in a restaurant freezer.
Amidst all this chaos, there's also a subplot involving a neighbor's death and Raimunda taking over her restaurant.
2. Broken Embraces (2009)
In "Broken Embraces," Cruz is Lena, a secretary-turned-actress in a complicated relationship with her older, wealthy boss, Ernesto. She falls for a film director named Harry, and they embark on a secret affair.
Ernesto gets suspicious, so he hires his own son to film Lena under the guise of making a 'behind-the-scenes' documentary. Through these secret tapes, Ernesto finds out about the affair and deliberately sabotages Harry's film, driving Lena away.
3. Open Your Eyes (1997)
Before "Vanilla Sky," there was "Open Your Eyes," the Spanish thriller that inspired the American remake. Cruz plays Sofia, initially the love interest of César, a handsome womanizer. Things spiral out of control when César gets disfigured in a car accident caused by his jealous ex.
Post-accident, the line between reality and imagination blurs. César doesn't know if Sofia loves him or if she's just a figment of his imagination.
4. The Girl of Your Dreams (1998)
Cruz is Macarena, an actress stuck in a Spanish film crew shooting a movie in Germany during World War II. She catches the eye of a high-ranking Nazi official, who becomes infatuated with her. Macarena's not interested, but hey, you can't easily reject a Nazi without repercussions. So, she plays along for the crew's safety while trying to aid an imprisoned Spanish resistance fighter.
5. Don't Move (2004)
In "Don't Move," Cruz takes on the role of Italia, a poverty-stricken woman who experiences a brutal encounter with Timoteo, a surgeon, when his car breaks down near her home. A strange, complex relationship develops between the two. Timoteo is already married, mind you, but he can't seem to extricate himself from this connection.
Throughout the film, we get flashbacks revealing details of their affair, all while Timoteo's daughter is in surgery following a devastating accident.
6. Live Flesh (1997)
In "Live Flesh," Cruz plays a minor but pivotal role as a prostitute who gives birth to Victor in a bus. Fast forward a couple of decades, and Victor's life changes dramatically when he gets involved in a shooting accident with two cops. One ends up in a wheelchair, and Victor ends up in jail.
Upon release, he seeks out Elena, the woman who inadvertently led him into that fateful situation, only to find she's now married to the wheelchair-bound cop.
7. Elegy (2008)
"Elegy" gives us Cruz as Consuela, a Cuban student who becomes the object of affection for her much older professor, played by Ben Kingsley. It starts as a 'sneak around so no one finds out' kind of affair, but as time passes, the professor becomes increasingly paranoid about their age difference and the eventual end of their relationship.
Spoiler alert — it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
8. Woman on Top (2000)
In "Woman on Top," Cruz's character Isabella does just that. She moves from Brazil to San Francisco after catching her husband cheating. There, she lands a spot on a TV cooking show, and she spices up more than just her dishes. Her show becomes a hit, and her husband wants her back. Now, she has to choose between her newfound success and a love that once shattered her heart.
9. Twice Born (2012)
"Twice Born" offers a poignant drama set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War. Cruz plays Gemma, a woman who returns to Sarajevo years after the war with her teenage son. Flashbacks reveal she was deeply in love with Diego, a photographer, during her first stay. After struggles with infertility, they decide to adopt, but the war separates them, leaving Gemma alone.