Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez is a slow-burning, morally tangled crime thriller about a cartel kingpin who decides to leave the game and become a woman. The film follows Rita Mora Castro, a lawyer played by Zoe Saldaña, who agrees to help Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, played by Karla Sofía Gascón, secretly undergo gender-affirming surgery and build a new life as Emilia Pérez. It is a film about identity, betrayal, and the cost of leaving the past behind, and it mostly earns its weight through Saldaña’s performance and Audiard’s patient direction.
The movie opens with Rita defending a murder case involving a prominent media figure’s wife. She wins the case by arguing that the woman died by suicide, even though she believes otherwise. That decision sets her up for a lucrative offer from an anonymous caller, which leads her to Manitas. He hires her to arrange the surgery, find a safe place for his wife and children, and keep the whole operation quiet. Rita agrees, and the film spends its middle stretch following the logistics: doctors in Bangkok and Tel Aviv, a fake death, and a new identity in London.
Trailer, via Netflix.
Rita’s Moral Compromise
Rita is not a hero. She is a compromised professional who takes on Manitas’s case for money, and the film never lets you forget that. Saldaña plays Rita with a weary intelligence, constantly weighing the consequences of her actions. The film’s central tension is between Rita’s legal instincts and her growing affection for Emilia, which develops slowly as they spend time together in London.
The scene where Rita consults with the surgeon, Dr. Wasserman, played by Mark Ivanir, is a highlight. Wasserman pushes back on the idea of a secret surgery, arguing that Manitas’s transition deserves public acknowledgment. Rita’s response is pragmatic and cold: she wants the procedure done quietly so that Manitas can live. This exchange captures the film’s central argument about visibility and privacy, and it sets up the conflict that drives the second half of the story.
Manitas Becomes Emilia
Gascón’s performance as Manitas is the engine of the film. She plays the cartel leader with a quiet menace that shifts into tenderness once she transitions. The film is careful about showing Emilia’s surgery, opting for a brief, clinical shot rather than lingering on the procedure itself. This restraint works in the film’s favor, allowing the emotional stakes to come from the aftermath rather than the act itself.
The film’s pacing is deliberate, and some scenes feel padded. The Bangkok and Tel Aviv sequences, which involve Rita and Manitas consulting with doctors and arranging the surgery, could have been condensed. Instead, Audiard slows down, letting the tension simmer beneath the surface. This approach works when the film is building toward a confrontation, but it drags during the quieter stretches.
Jessi’s Discontent
Selena Gomez plays Jessi, Manitas’s wife, whose role in the film is largely reactive. She is told that Switzerland is the safest place for her and the children, but she wants to go to the United States to be with her sister. The film presents her as a woman caught between loyalty to her husband and a desire for freedom, but her character is underdeveloped compared to Rita and Manitas.
Adriana Paz plays Epifanía, Emilia’s lover. Her presence adds a layer of complication to Emilia’s new life, but her storyline is limited to a few scenes. The film’s focus is clearly on Rita and Emilia, and the supporting characters exist mainly to provide obstacles and emotional beats.
Gustavo Brun and the Family Secret
Édgar Ramírez plays Gustavo Brun, Jessi’s lover. The film reveals that Jessi had an affair with Brun during the later years of her marriage, and this secret comes to light when Jessi returns to Mexico. The revelation is a turning point for the story, but it feels rushed. The film spends little time establishing the nature of the affair or why Jessi chose Brun over Manitas, which leaves the audience somewhat lost.
The film’s ending brings Rita, Emilia, Jessi, and the children back to Mexico, where they try to rebuild their lives. Rita introduces Emilia as a wealthy cousin of Manitas who has volunteered to help raise the children. Jessi does not recognize Emilia, and she opposes the arrangement at first. Ultimately, she agrees to return to Mexico to reunite with Gustavo Brun.
The Music and the Backlash
Emilia Pérez is a musical film, and its songs carry significant narrative weight. The film includes several original numbers, including “El Mal,” which won the Best Original Song Oscar. The music is used sparingly, often during key plot points, and it adds a layer of emotion that dialogue alone could not achieve.
The film’s reception has been polarized. It won the Jury Prize and the Best Actress award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on 18 May 2024. It also led the 97th Academy Awards with 13 nominations, winning two: Best Supporting Actress for Saldaña and Best Original Song for “El Mal.” At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, the film won four awards.
In Mexico, the film was panned by audiences and critics alike. The backlash centered on cultural misrepresentation, songwriting, the use of stereotypes, and the Spanish dialogue. LGBTQ commentators were also critical of the film’s depiction of transgender people, arguing that the portrayal reinforced harmful stereotypes rather than offering a nuanced representation.
Weighing the Response
The film’s success in Europe and the United States stands in stark contrast to its reception in Mexico. This divide is telling. The film’s themes of identity and transformation are universal, but its specific cultural context — a cartel kingpin transitioning in Mexico — is deeply rooted in local politics and history. The Mexican backlash suggests that the film’s handling of those themes felt superficial to viewers who lived with the consequences of organized crime on a daily basis.
The film’s critical praise in other markets is also notable. Generally positive reviews from critics in the United States and Europe focused on the direction, music, performances, and themes. The film’s technical achievements, particularly Saldaña’s performance, were widely acknowledged.
Rita and Emilia’s Final Encounter
The film’s final stretch, set in Mexico, brings the story full circle. Rita and Emilia’s reunion with Jessi and the children is tense, and the film does not offer a clean resolution. The family dynamic is damaged, and the film ends on a note of uncertainty rather than closure. This open-ended conclusion fits the film’s overall tone, which is more interested in the complexity of human relationships than in neat endings.
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Zoe Saldaña’s performance | Anchors the film emotionally | Rita’s moral compromises are sometimes under-explained |
| Karla Sofía Gascón’s performance | Brings depth to Manitas’ transition | Underdeveloped backstory limits impact |
| Direction | Patient, atmospheric | Some pacing issues in the middle stretch |
| Music | Adds emotional weight | Songs feel occasional rather than integrated |
| Thematic ambition | Addresses complex issues of identity | Handles them with uneven sensitivity |
The Bottom Line
Emilia Pérez is a flawed but ambitious film. It grapples with serious subjects — organized crime, gender transition, and the cost of reinvention — and it does so with a strong central performance from Zoe Saldaña. The film’s pacing issues and underdeveloped secondary characters hold it back, but its central relationship between Rita and Emilia is compelling enough to sustain the runtime.
The film’s cultural backlash in Mexico is a warning sign. It shows that even a well-intentioned work can miss its mark when it fails to engage with the lived experiences of its subject population. The film’s Oscar wins and international acclaim are real, but they should be weighed against the criticisms from those who know the material best.
Emilia Pérez is a film worth seeing for Saldaña’s performance and Audiard’s direction, but it is a film that asks more questions than it answers. It is a morally messy work that rewards attention, even as it frustrates expectations.
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