‘Emilia Pérez’: All the buzz and backlash around the Oscars’ top nominee, explained

“Emilia Pérez” continues to show its awards season might.

On Thursday, Netflix’s Spanish-language crime musical earned a leading 13 Oscar nominations, including for best picture, international picture, lead actress (Karla Sofía Gascón), supporting actress (Zoe Saldaña) and directing (Jacques Audiard). In addition to its star Gascón making history as the first out trans woman to be nominated for an acting Oscar, “Emilia Pérez” broke the record for most nominations earned by an international film.

Earlier this month “Emilia Pérez” won four Golden Globe Awards — including for musical or comedy picture and non-English-language picture — out of 10 nominations. The film also has earned 11 BAFTA nominations, three SAG Award nominations and numerous other honors from guilds and critics groups.

But not all the buzz around the film has been positive. In addition to its accolades, “Emilia Pérez” has sparked backlash for elements including its portrayals of Mexico and trans identity.

Here’s everything you need to know about the “Emilia Pérez” discourse.

What is ‘Emilia Pérez’?

Written and directed by Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez” is a French-produced, Spanish-language musical thriller about a Mexican cartel boss who secretly undergoes gender-affirming surgery for a new life. The film stars Karla Sofía Gascón as the eponymous crime lord (both before and after transition), Zoe Saldaña as the overworked lawyer hired to help arrange the procedure and Selena Gomez as the crime lord’s wife, who believes her spouse is dead.

The film premiered in competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the jury prize and the best actress award for its female ensemble.

What was the critical response?

The response from professional critics has been generally favorable, with praise for Gascón’s and Saldaña’s performances. “Emilia Pérez” currently holds a 76% rating on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes and a 71 on Metacritic.

In his review for The Times, Robert Abele hailed “Audiard’s full-bodied, colorful epic” as a “satisfying movie movie” and a “good,” “imaginative” musical.

Its audience scores on review aggregate sites have been less positive. There have been reports of “Emilia Pérez’s” audience ratings dropping after its big wins at the Golden Globes, raising suspicions that the film has been a target of mass negative reviews in order to affect its score.

Why the backlash?

The criticisms leveled at “Emilia Pérez” include those for its depiction of Mexico and for lacking the involvement of Mexican crew and cast members. Some have claimed that the film’s portrayal of Mexico is inauthentic and lacks proper context and nuance around drug cartels.

While the film is set in Mexico, the film is a French production, written and directed by a French filmmaker and shot predominantly in a studio near Paris. The film’s main cast includes Gascón, who is Spanish; Saldaña, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent; and Gomez, who is of Mexican descent.

Audiard has addressed some of the backlash regarding the inauthentic portrayal of Mexico, describing “Emilia Pérez” as an “opera” and not “realistic.”

“If there are things that seem shocking in ‘Emilia Pérez’ then I am sorry,” he reportedly said.

Gomez also was criticized for her proficiency in Spanish. Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez was among those who called out Gomez’s performance and Spanish language ability. (Like Gomez, the character she portrays was raised in the U.S.)

Gomez has previously said her Spanish fluency waned after she started working in television at age 7. She responded to the criticism on social media, saying, “I did the best I could with the time I was given. Doesn’t take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie.” Derbez has since apologized.

Is there more?

Yes, “Emilia Pérez” also has been called out for its portrayal of the film’s eponymous trans woman despite Gascón, an out trans actor, playing the trans role.

LGBTQ+ media advocacy group GLAAD has declared the film is “Not Good Trans Representation.” (“Emilia Pérez” was not nominated for any GLAAD Media Awards when they were announced earlier this month.)

Some LGBTQ+ critics have called out “Emilia Pérez” for its transphobic tropes, reductive storyline and cisgender perspective about transness. (The film also has been criticized for not being campy enough.) Others have defended the film, saying these critics are ignoring and erasing Gascón’s work to elevate the film.

Gascón, who has spoken out about the transphobic threats and harassment she receives, also has pushed back against trans and queer critics of “Emilia Pérez.”

“Being LGBTQ, having those labels, does not remove your stupidity, just like heterosexuality does not remove your stupidity,” she told Vanity Fair. “What bothers me is that the people that say things like that [are] just sitting down at home doing nothing. If you don’t like it, go and make your own movie. Go create the representation you want to see for your community.”