Why Emilia Pérez Is Getting Dragged by Latin American Audiences

The Emilia Pérez Controversy: Cultural Missteps, Casting Issues & More

Alright, let’s talk about Emilia Pérez—the film that was supposed to be a bold, groundbreaking story about identity, redemption, and transformation, but instead? It’s got Latin American audiences big mad. What went wrong? From questionable cultural representation to tone-deaf casting choices, this movie is drowning in controversy. Let’s break it down.

What Even Is Emilia Pérez? 🎭

So, Emilia Pérez is a musical crime drama (yes, a musical—we’ll get to that) about a powerful Mexican cartel leader who secretly transitions to live as a woman. Now, living as Emilia Pérez, she tries to reunite with her wife and kids while atoning for her violent past.

Sounds unique, right? A mix of crime, gender identity, and redemption all in one story? But instead of applause, Latin American audiences are seriously not feeling it—and for good reason.

1. It's a Mexican Story... Without Mexicans?

Imagine a movie about Mexico that:

• Wasn’t filmed in Mexico (it was shot in France 🤡)
• Is directed by a French filmmaker (Jacques Audiard, who doesn’t speak Spanish)
• Stars mostly non-Mexican actors

Yeah, that’s a huge red flag. Latin American audiences feel like Emilia Pérez is just using Mexican culture as a cool aesthetic, rather than actually respecting and representing it properly.

And let’s talk about casting:

• Emilia Pérez is played by Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who identifies as transgender but isn’t Mexican.
• Zoe Saldaña (who’s Dominican-Puerto Rican) plays a Mexican lawyer.
• Selena Gomez, who is Mexican-American, had to relearn Spanish for the role.

The only major Mexican actor in the cast? Adriana Paz. That’s it.

For a movie centered around Mexican culture, cartel violence, and identity, having zero major Mexican creative voices behind it feels... off.

2. The Whole "Narco Musical" Thing Is Wild 🎶💀

Yes, Emilia Pérez is a musical—and that’s got people very confused.

Musicals are great (Wicked hive, rise up 🙌), but turning cartel violence and Mexico’s forced disappearances into a sing-along moment? It’s just... weird.

The issue isn’t just that the movie is a musical—it’s that it doesn’t handle serious topics with care. Mexico is currently facing a real crisis with over 120,000 people missing due to cartel violence. Seeing a film that glamorizes or trivializes this struggle—even unintentionally—feels tone-deaf.

Critics are saying the songs feel forced and the performances aren’t vocally strong, making the musical element even more frustrating. Compared to other major musicals (Wicked, Les Misérables, etc.), Emilia Pérez just doesn’t hold up.

3. Karla Sofía Gascón's Controversial Past 📉👀

The actress playing Emilia Pérez, Karla Sofía Gascón, is catching heat for old tweets and problematic statements.

People have resurfaced her past offensive posts about Muslims, George Floyd, and diversity at the Oscars—and they’re not a good look. The backlash was so bad that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences literally unfollowed her on Instagram (yikes).

Instead of apologizing, Gascón doubled down—she even compared herself to Picasso on X (formerly Twitter), calling herself a misunderstood artist. 😬

4. The Director Doesn't Get It 🎬🚩

Jacques Audiard, the French director behind Emilia Pérez, has made it clear that he wasn’t trying to explore Mexican culture—just use it as a setting.

• He wrote the script in French (not Spanish).
• He doesn’t speak Spanish or English (how are you directing a Spanish-language movie??).
• His comments about the Spanish language came off super dismissive to native speakers.

For Latin American audiences, this just reinforces the Hollywood habit of using Latino stories without actually including Latino voices.

5. Award Show Drama & Industry Politics 🏆😵‍💫

Despite all the controversy, Emilia Pérez dominated award season, winning big at the Golden Globes and snagging 13 Oscar nominations—the most for any non-English film in history.

But not everyone is celebrating. Broadway fans are especially mad because Emilia Pérez won Best Original Song over Wicked—a massively beloved musical. Many feel like Emilia Pérez is getting overhyped by critics while actual good musicals (cough Wicked cough) are being overlooked.

And Netflix? They’re distancing themselves from the drama—literally removing Karla Sofía Gascón from promotional materials in Latin America after her scandal blew up. Oof.

Did Emilia Pérez Miss the Mark? 🤔

At its core, Emilia Pérez had the potential to be a powerful story about identity, transformation, and redemption. But instead, it’s getting backlash for:
✅ Cultural misrepresentation (French-made “Mexican” film)
✅ Questionable casting choices (few actual Mexicans involved)
✅ Turning cartel violence into a musical (and not in a good way)
✅ Controversial cast and crew statements

While some critics love it, Latin American audiences—and many trans advocates—feel like the movie misses the mark on the serious issues it tries to tackle.

What do you think? Did Emilia Pérez deserve all its awards, or is it another case of Hollywood getting it wrong? Let’s talk in the comments. 👇

Stay tuned for more entertainment deep dives from Woke Waves Magazine! 🎬🔥

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