Emilia Pérezdivides audiences upon its release to Netflix. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the new movie is a gritty musical about a lawyer in Mexico who gets offered the opportunity to help a notorious cartel boss make a gender transition to become the woman she has always been. TheEmilia Pérezcastincludes Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir, and Édgar Ramírez. The film received a limited release in theaters and was put on Netflix today, November 13.
Following its Netflix debut,Emilia Pérezhas evoked a mixed response from viewers. On the one hand, some people were emotionally moved and thought it was among the best movies of this year. On the other, its detractors called it everything from “boring” to “batsh*t insane.” One clip in particular, which includes a musical number wherein Saldaña’s character is trying to learn about sex change operations, caused an extremely divisive reaction among fans. Check out some of the responses below:
Posting a clip from the film,@YesitsAlistairsaid, “don’t be fooled by this clip into thinking Emilia Perez is an enjoyable train wreck,” calling the movie “the most boring, generic crime drama you can conceive of.”
Others felt completely differently aboutEmilia Pérez, such as@porquekarl, who referred to the film as “movie of the year.”
Also on the positive side was@thestandars, who used the same clip that @YesItsAlistair had mocked, but instead praised the musical number, calling it “so camp.”
Still, the detractors were strong in their beliefs, including@aliarikan, who said, “Words cannot describe how utterly awful Emilia Perez is,” and posted the same clip.
@joyfulsport5loved the film, writing, “Just finished watching Emilia Perez, and I’m literally sobbing.”
Some people seemed baffled as to how the movie was getting awards attention, with@bobgoochmancalling it “batsh*t insane (bad bad).”
Some viewers, such as@siciiily, took issue with how the film portrayed its content, with this user calling the film “by far the most tone deaf movie i’ve seen in recent years.”
What This Means For Emilia Pérez
Emilia Pérez Has Good Critical Reviews
Despite the split audience response,Emilia Pérezhas received good reviewsfrom critics.The film currently has an 82% score on Rotten Tomatoesfrom the 148 critics who have reviewed it, though more could be added now that it has arrived on Netflix. Those who liked the movie praised its feminist themes, unique genre combinations, and Saldaña’s performance. It also won several awards at Cannes. Because of this dissonance in viewers' and critics' perceptions, it will be interesting to see how the discussion aroundEmilia Pérezcontinues.
Our Take On The Emilia Pérez Response
Emilia Perez’s Awards Chances Seem More Murky
The division is fairly unsurprising. After all,Emilia Pérezhas an unusual plotand also brings the musical genre into the thriller space, which is not done often. As the debate continues surrounding its quality, however, it will be interesting to see howEmilia Pérez’s awards chances are affected. Given its success at Cannes, the movie has been floated as a contender for nominations in the acting categories. The average viewer is not a voting member of the Academy, but it remains to be seenwhether the more mixed response ends up affecting the overall perception of the filmand its awards chances.
Source: Twitter (various, see above)
Emilia Perez
Cast
Emilia Perez is a drama film that follows the life of Emilia Perez, a determined and ambitious individual striving to make a name for herself in a competitive environment. The story explores her journey as she navigates the challenges and obstacles that come her way, all while uncovering the complexities of her own identity.
