The 2024 musical crime film Emilia Pérez is directed by the French filmmaker Jacques Audiard. It is based on Audiard's libretto for the same-titled opera, which was based on Boris Razon's 2018 novel Écoute.
The movie centers around Emilia Pérez, a Mexican cartel leader, who hires Zoe Saldaña, a lawyer, to help her vanish so she can transform into a woman. The movie is available to stream on Netflix.
Cast of Emilia Pérez
Zoe Saldaña as Rita Mora Castro
The American actress Zoe Saldaña portrays Rita Mora Castro, a lawyer, in the film. Rita is a struggling lawyer in Mexico City, who is hired by Juan "Manitas" Del Monte / Emilia Pérez to help the latter disappear so she can begin a new life.
Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia Pérez / Juan "Manitas" Del Monte
The Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón portrays Emilia Pérez / Juan "Manitas" Del Monte in the film. She is the cartel kingpin who wants to covertly undergo gender-affirming surgery to start a new life.
Selena Gomez as Jessi Del Monte
The American celebrity Selena Gomez portrays Jessi Del Monte in the film. Jessi is Manitas’ wife and mother of his children. For their safety, Jessi and the children are sent to Switzerland after his treatment.
Adriana Paz as Epifanía Flores
The Mexican actress Adriana Paz portrays Epifanía Flores, Emilia’s lover in the film. Following Emilia's passing, Epifanía marches through the streets, singing her eulogy and honoring her struggle for freedom and the truth.
Édgar Ramírez as Gustavo Brunz
The Venezuelan actor Édgar Ramírez portrays Gustavo Brun, Jessi's lover, in the film. He is a former boyfriend with whom Jessi had an affair in the last years of her marriage. In the end Jessi, Gustavo and Emilia end up dying.
Mark Ivanir as Dr. Wasserman
The Israeli actor Mark Ivanir portrays Dr. Wasserman in the film. Dr. Wasserman is the one who performs the gender affirming surgery on Juan "Manitas" Del Monte before he becomes Emilia Pérez.
Also read: What is Emilia Perez about?
Emilia Pérez awards and nominations
In addition to Best Picture and Best Actress (for which Gascón is the first openly trans woman to receive a nomination), Emilia Pérez received a record 13 nominations at the 97th Academy Awards. Out of 10 Golden Globe nominations, Emilia Pérez took home four Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. At both events, Emilia Pérez has the most nominations for a non-English-language film. The movie was also the winner of the Best Film European Film Award.
How well received is Emilia Pérez?
Emilia Pérez has been praised by the critics. 74% of the 243 critics' reviews on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes are favorable, giving the movie an average rating of 6.8 out of 10. According to the website, "Karla Sofía Gascón is Emilia Pérez in a swaggering musical crime thriller of genre-bending fascination that is also an unapologetically trans story."
The movie received 71 out of 100 reviews from 54 reviewers, according to Metacritic, which uses a weighted average and indicates "generally favorable" reviews. The movie was rated 4.1 stars on average by French reviewers on AlloCiné, which compiled 38 reviews.
Read more: Emilia Perez Awards
FAQs about Emilia Pérez
A. Emilia Pérez features Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir and Édgar Ramírez.
A. The Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón portrays Emilia Pérez / Juan "Manitas" Del Monte in the film.
A. No, Emilia Pérez isn’t a true story. It is based on Audiard's libretto for the same-titled opera, which was based on Boris Razon's 2018 novel Écoute.
