About

Emilia Pérez is a Spanish-language musical written and directed by French film director Jacques Audiard that follows the story of a Mexican cartel leader (played by Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón) who enlists a lawyer (Dominican-American actress Zoe Saldaña) to help her disappear so that she can transition into a woman. The film received generally positive reviews from film critics, however, the film's portrayal of transgender people was criticized by some LGBTQ+ advocates and Audiard's portrayal of Mexican culture led to the film being widely panned in Mexico. Emilia Pérez was nominated for 13 Academy Awards in January 2025.

History

"Emilia Pérez" is a 2024 Spanish-language French musical crime comedy film directed by Jacques Audiard. The story follows a Mexican cartel leader, portrayed by Karla Sofía Gascón, who collaborates with a lawyer, played by Zoe Saldaña, to fake his death and transition into a woman, adopting the identity of Emilia Pérez.

The film also features American actress and singer Selena Gomez and Mexican actress Adriana Paz in supporting roles. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18th, 2024, winning the "Jury Prize" and receiving critical acclaim. Emilia Pérez was released on Netflix on November 13th, 2024.^[1][2]

Reception

Emilia Pérez has garnered significant critical acclaim, securing 13 Academy Award nominations, including "Best Picture."^[3] The film received a Rotten Tomatoes^[4] rating of 6.9/10 and a Metacritic score of 71 out of 100.^[5]

However, the film has faced substantial criticism from LGBTQ+ activists and Mexican audiences. GLAAD^[6] labeled it "a profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman," while Autostraddle^[7] criticized its "shallow understanding" of gender transition.

Mexican critics have denounced the film for perpetuating stereotypes and diminishing the harm posed by drug cartels in Mexico. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto found it "offensive and completely inauthentic," and the film has been described as "an insensitive caricature" that makes apologisms to drug traffickers. In El País,^[8] critic Paul B. Preciado described the film as being "loaded with racism, transphobia, [and] anti-Latino exoticism."

Online Reactions

On November 13th, 2024, a clip of a musical number from the movie went viral on Twitter / X,^[11] with X user @ChloeNumberIII writing, "THIS IS NOT A REAL MOVIE F DSHJDSFHDSFHHJDSF," and gathering over 26,000 likes in three months.

THIS IS NOT A REAL MOVIE F DSHJDSFHDSFHHJDSF pic.twitter.com/Jjbq7cxTn9

— chloe 🦋 (@ChloeNumberIII) November 13, 2024

On November 14th, 2024, Twitter / X^[9] user @comingsofage posted a clip of Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard saying he didn't "study much" about the Mexican context, gathering over 3,000 likes in three months.

adding fuel to the fire, here’s an interview for Jacques Audiard, director of EMILIA PÉREZINTERVIEWER: How much did you have to study Mexico to be able to make this film?AUDIARD: No, I didn’t study much. I kinda already knew what I had to understandMake of that want you will https://t.co/sWkF0KknXt pic.twitter.com/WiwYXkzuiE

— ana (@comingsofage) November 14, 2024

On December 18th, X^[10] user @Ratita_Bebe reacted to a video of Carla Hool, the French casting director who worked on the film, citing a "lack of local talent" as the reason why Emilia Pérez had no Mexican actors in any of the leading or supporting roles. The post gathered over 12,000 likes in a month.

O séa que en México no hay talento. Al chile, puto el que pague un boleto para ver esta mierda. Descárguenla de Torrent si les da curiosidad. https://t.co/FN8fWlegxc

— Ratita Bebé. (@Ratita_Bebe) December 18, 2024

Various Examples

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External References