Emilia Perez: Netflix viewers confused by new Selena Gomez movie

Sign up for our latest news emails to get free breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox

Sign up for our free newsletters

Sign up for our free newsletters

A new musical crime thriller on Netflix starring Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña has left viewers completely confused, with verdicts ranging from “boring” to “movie of the year.”

Emilia Perez was named the most divisive film at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and hit Netflix on November 13.

The film, directed by Jacques Audiard, stars Karla Sofía Gascón as the titular character, a Mexican drug cartel leader who undergoes gender reassignment surgery to become medical.

Perez recruits a tough lawyer played by Saldaña to help her go through the process, while her wife, played by Gomez, and children are moved to Switzerland for their safety.

The ambitious film currently has a positive score on Rotten Tomatoes, but judging by social media reactions, it has been wildly alienating.

A particular scene in which Saldana explains the process of gender reassignment surgery through the song has already gone viral, garnering more than 4 million views at the time of writing.

The person who uploaded it wrote: “THIS IS NOT A REAL MOVIE.” They later added: “I’m 20 minutes in and this was already the second time I had to pause the movie just to laugh, oh my god.”

Another critic called it “the most boring, generic crime drama you can imagine, with the occasional demented musical number thrown in”.

A third person said: “A horribly miscalculated mix of creative decisions in poor taste in an attempt to appear ‘important’ and ’empathetic’.”

Watch Apple TV+ for free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/month after free trial period. Schedule automatic renewal until cancellation

Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ for free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/month after free trial period. Schedule automatic renewal until cancellation

Try for free

In much more positive terms, one viewer said: “The film was such a unique blend of comedy, crime and musical elements working together in the most unexpected ways. The themes of identity and transformation were handled beautifully.”

Another person said that while the film was still “bats***”, it still flows with the context of the film. I kind of loved what it was doing and the story it was telling.”

In a review regarding OutMexican trans film critic Mey Rude said: Emilia Perez is not just one of the best trans films you will ever see, it is one of the most unique and brilliant films of the year.”

In Cannes, Gascón and her co-stars shared the Best Actress award, which she accepted.

Now Gascón is widely expected to be nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars.

Emilia Perez can be seen now on Netflix.