Nothing says awards season like a little spicy drama, but above and below the line, the film Emilia Perez has taken it to a whole new level. The Spanish language film directed by Jacques Auidard racked up 13 total Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Karla Sofia Gascón, which would make her the first trans woman to land an Oscar nomination in history. Zoe Saldaña is also up for Best Supporting Actress. Emilia Perez even earned a Best Picture nom. Despite its vast amount of accolades garnered in the past year, the internet became the most united it’s been in a long time over their shared hatred for the movie.
Of all the movie rating platforms, Rotten Tomatoes has been the most generous with a 72%. IMDB has Emilia Perez clocking in at a 5.5/10, and on Letterboxd, the average rating is a 2.1 out of 5. I fared better on my microeconomics midterm than Emilia Perez by a rather slim margin. It premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival to a warm reception from Hollywood industry professionals. The film’s eccentric nature as a crime musical based on an opera was the basis of its appeal. However, audiences in Latin American countries and the general trans community are far from impressed. GLAAD, an NGO dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ equality causes in the media, came out with an op-ed condemning its portrayal of trans folks.
“Emilia Pérez’s presence in the Oscars race isn’t exactly a shock,” says Vox contributor Kyndall Cunningham. “Given that it falls neatly into a category of movies the white Hollywood establishment loves to celebrate: mawkish stories about people on society’s margins that allow viewers to feel socially aware through their consumption, without challenging any of the stereotypes and political messaging presented in them.”
Michele Thiel of Pink News, a Mexican trans woman, brings a much-anticipated perspective to the number of controversies the film is under fire for: “A trans woman has created a parody film in response to French-made cartel movie Emilia Pérez, which has been criticized for disregarding Mexican screenwriters and actors and ‘being a Eurocentric production.’” she says. “Emilia Pérez stars trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who is Spanish, and who recently made history by becoming the first out trans performer ever to be nominated for an Oscar. However, many – including trans content creator Camila Aurora – have criticized the film for its cast of leading actors that only includes one Mexican performer (Adriana Paz) in a relatively minor role (Epifanía). Emilia Pérez was also shot entirely in France.”
The two demographics have vocalized concerns about how the film is reaffirming various stereotypes and does not portray a positive representation of either group. Plenty of people have criticized Selena Gomez for her lack of fluent Spanish speaking, which some may argue is authentic to her character since she plays a Mexican-American woman who spent most of her time in the US – though that is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the scandals. Since the Golden Globes, the cast and crew of Emilia Perez have become utterly embroiled in controversy. A number of racist tweets from Gascón resurfaced, as well as some that are just plain mean jabs at costars. Auidard, the director, has also come under fire for the use of artificial intelligence in the movie. He wasn’t the only director to be implicated in an AI case, as the crew of fellow Best Picture contender The Brutalist also admitted to using it as well. These candors swiftly prompted the Academy to introduce a new policy that films primarily up for award consideration must be transparent about their use of AI if utilized at all. This development comes as somewhat of a shock, given that one of the chief concerns of the SAG and WGA strikes back in 2023 was to embargo the use of artificial intelligence in Hollywood productions.
Whether the numerous controversies Emilia Perez has become subject to will impact its chances of winning any Academy Awards remains to be seen. Gascón was not present at the SAG Awards, where her co-star Zoe Saldaña took home the trophy for Best Supporting Actress. Anora has become the most recent serious prospect for a Best Picture win, and Ariana Grande is favored to win Best Supporting Actress over Saldaña for her performance as Glinda in Wicked. Regardless of how one feels about the film, it is undeniable that if Emilia Perez wins any award it’s evidence that the film industry forsakes the concerns of the general public. Our country is facing unprecedented levels of political polarization, but if Republicans and liberals can agree that films like this are not doing anything to help benefit society, then we still have some of our priorities sorted out.
About Evelyn Young
Evelyn is a senior from the Chicago area majoring in Digital Media Practices and Jewish Studies with a minor in French. This past summer, she studied creative writing in Paris. Evelyn has held a variety of positions within the Crescent and is incredibly excited to begin her role as Senior Editor. After graduating from Tulane, she hopes to move to Los Angeles to pursue her film career.
Evelyn is a senior from the Chicago area majoring in Digital Media Practices and Jewish Studies with a minor in French. This past summer, she studied creative writing in Paris. Evelyn has held a variety of positions within the Crescent and is incredibly excited to begin her role as Senior Editor. After graduating from Tulane, she hopes to move to Los Angeles to pursue her film career.
