How does a movie win four Golden Globes—Best Supporting Actress, Best Song (El Mal), Best Comedy or Musical, and Best Non-English Language Film—and still feel so disappointing? Let me break it down.
First off, Emilia Pérez is set in Mexico but wasn’t even filmed there. Jacques Audiard shot the movie in France and barely engaged with Mexican culture. The portrayal feels shallow, more like a caricature than reality.
Casting didn’t help. Karla Sofía Gascón, a Spanish actress, plays Emilia, sidelining Mexican talent. Selena Gomez, who plays Manitas’s wife, struggled with Spanish, making her performance feel disconnected. Even Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez called it “indefensible,” though he later apologized. Zoe Saldaña won a Golden Globe for her role as Emilia’s lawyer, but her character was underwritten.
The story—a cartel boss transitioning to live as her true self—had potential, but it trivialized cartel violence and the trans experience. GLAAD called it “a step backward,” and scenes like the singing doctor went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Despite its awards, Emilia Pérez feels like a missed opportunity. Representation needs authenticity and depth, and this film just doesn’t deliver.
What do you think? Did the movie deserve its praise, or did it fall flat for you too?
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