Netflix’s Controversial And The Golden Globes’ Co-Best Picture ‘Emilia Perez,’ Explained

The Golden Globes lavished awards on Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist last night, and while The Brutalist is currently almost impossible to watch, Emilia Perez is and has been easily accessible on Netflix since its release on November 1.

It has not made its way into the Netflix Top 10 after last night, but I’m sure some people are curious to check it out. I just think people…may not be understanding exactly what to expect here. Here’s the plotline:

“This odyssey follows the journey of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self.”

Its win in Best Musical or Comedy for Best Picture may clue you into this, but that storyline may not at all indicate that this is not some sort of traditional crime thriller, it’s an outright musical. Here’s how star Karla Sofía Gascón describes it:

“You have an action movie that’s not an action movie, a drama that’s not a drama, a comedy that’s not a comedy,” lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón told Tudum. “It is such a great gift, and I’m so proud to be part of it.”

The film has surprised many that it is racking up this many awards given that it’s proven so controversial in many ways, from its concept to its execution to its portrayal of Latino culture and trans issues at times. The film has decidedly mixed reviews, a 76% critic score is not your usual average for a Best Picture contender (The Brutalist has a 93%). It has a 60% audience score, indicating viewers may lean positive but it’s hardly universal.

It’s a very odd situation as the movie seemingly leans into progressive themes, but some in progressive media say it accomplishes the opposite. Here’s a piece saying as much from Vox about the portrayal of its trans lead and how she’s used:

“Even with Audiard’s perfunctory attempts to validate Emilia’s gender identity, it’s largely played as a disguise throughout the movie. Moments of Emilia’s “mask” slipping around her family feel like scenes ripped out of Tootsie or Mrs. Doubtfire.”

The same type of controversies have emerged about how its French director portrays Mexico:

“Emilia Pérez’s depiction of Mexican culture feels equally regressive and lazy. Mexico is presented as an inescapably violent and miserable place. Meanwhile, references to a character’s Mexican identity include smelling like tequila and guacamole. Little effort was seemingly put into ensuring that the film’s language was spoken properly. This has resulted in criticism of Gomez.”

The point here is that this may be a lot more divisive than the traditional Best Picture nominee, a split between a movie attempting to be inclusive yet perhaps…not doing that as effectively as it appears to.

You can make up your mind for yourself, as you can track the story through its song and dance and come to your own conclusion. But Emilia Pérez may be something totally different than you imagine it might be.

Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.

Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.