In 1991, Cruz made her feature film debut as the lead female role in the comedy drama art house film, Jamón, jamón. The movie received favorable reviews. And just a year later, Cruz was nominated for both the Goya Award and the Spanish Actors Union Award as Best Lead Actress.

In 2001, Penélope Cruz starred in the feature film Vanilla Sky which earned $200 million worldwide. It was a huge success.

In 2019, Netflix released the drama film Wasp Network. Despite Penélope Cruz’s participation, the movie received average reviews.