Emilia Pérez is one of the most divisive films in recent years and continues to face scrutiny, with a new ranking placing the Oscar-winning drama at the top of a list no Oscar contender would want to lead.
Despite earning 13 Academy Award nominations and winning two Oscars, the 2024 musical crime drama remains one of the most divisive films of its awards season, with its recognition and the criticism surrounding it continuing to fuel debate. In a new list curated by Collider, the movie directed by Jacques Audiard has been named the worst Oscar-winning movie ever, ahead of several films that have won the golden statuette.
The film produced by Netflix, which features Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, tried to blend a crime thriller with a musical and a narrative concerning transgender identity. Although this ambitious combination helped secure a place in the awards discussions, its treatment of Mexico, its characters, and its main themes also drew considerable criticism.
However, it is worth noting that the film didn’t receive universal hatred from critics. The movie is currently certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and sits comfortably at a 70% critics’ score. Moreover, it has a 73% score on the Popcornmeter from verified audiences.
What Made ‘Emilia Pérez’ So Divisive and Controversial?
The movie centers on a Mexican cartel boss who feigns his death and has gender-affirming surgery to start a new life under the name Emilia Pérez. Saldaña takes on the role of Rita, the lawyer who assists Emilia in getting rid of her previous identity, and Gomez plays Emilia’s former wife, Jessi. The situation offered Audiard the chance to examine themes of transformation, guilt, and the possibility of redemption. Yet the film’s various conflicting ideas have now become the main source of disagreement among viewers.
The way the film handles its musical numbers has caused a split among audiences. Instead of adhering to the usual rules of a traditional musical, it alternates between crime drama, dark comedy and stylized musical performances. While some spectators find this non-conventional method makes the film stand out, for others the songs and the changes in tone disrupt the emotional impact of the story.
Netflix
The project has likewise been criticized for the way it depicts Mexico, especially regarding cartel violence and the social issues existing in the country. Doubts regarding cultural authenticity entered into the broader discussion since the film was directed by the French filmmaker Audiard and had a production team mostly based outside Mexico.
Moreover, the way the film portrayed transgender identity drew additional criticism. Critics raised doubts about whether it provided Emilia with sufficient depth apart from the facts of her transition and her criminal background. These concerns helped fuel a wider debate regarding who is entitled to tell stories about marginalized groups and how such stories should be dealt with.
But that wasn’t all. Controversy related to Sofía Gascón’s past tweets further complicated the film’s awards campaign and drew attention away from its nominations. Gascón was considered to be the frontrunner in the Best Actress category at the Academy Awards and went on to win several accolades before it.
In early 2025, old social media posts that had contained offensive remarks reappeared, and this caused the actor to issue an apology, as a result of which even more attention was drawn away from the film. Not only did Gascón’s Oscar prospects take a hit, but the film’s awards-season momentum was overshadowed by the growing backlash.
The Oscars Success That Sparked a Lot of Debate
Even though there was criticism, Emilia Pérez had a spectacular run at the awards. It won the Jury Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was given 13 nominations at the 97th Academy Awards, which took place on March 2, 2025. The film eventually secured two Oscars; Saldaña was awarded Best Supporting Actress and the song El Mal, which was written by Clément Ducol, Camille and Audiard, won the prize for Best Original Song.
The fact that it had won some awards did not settle the question of the film’s general quality, since although it had been one of the films with the most nominations in the history of the Academy Awards, it had earned only a small number of victories at the ceremony. The controversy related to Sofía Gascón also made it more difficult for the film to gain awards recognition.
Despite the film not winning the award for Best Picture, it was not universally dismissed by either critics or audiences. People have praised it for its ambition, the quality of its performances, and its readiness to take creative risks. On the other hand, its critics claim that the ambitions do not always result in a coherent or culturally sensitive film.
It is this divide that makes Emilia Pérez such a notable case during awards season. Unlike most other recent contenders, it has created such a strong contrast between industry acclaim and public criticism. Although its two Oscar victories are still part of its legacy, the question of whether the film merited that recognition is by no means settled.
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