"Emilia Perez," starring Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldaña, has been criticized both for its quality and how it represents trans people and Mexican culture.

In an awards season where the race still seems to be fairly wide open, one film is gaining more traction than most as the finish line wobbles into view over the horizon. “Emilia Perez” wasn’t talked about as an Oscar hopeful after it first bowed at the Cannes Film Festival,

Emilia Pérez, the controversial Netflix movie about a Mexican drug lord who changes gender, generated more media exposure on Monday than it did in the whole of November.

“Emilia Pérez” swept the Golden Globes on Jan. 5, winning best motion picture in the musical or comedy category, as well as best motion picture (non-English language). The Spanish-language operatic musical also won a Golden Globe for best original song and Zoe Saldaña took home an award for best supporting female actor in a motion picture.

The Brutalist,” a historical epic that examines the post-war immigrant experience, and “Emilia Pérez,” a musical about a drug lord who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, won top honors at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday.

The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez were the big winners at the 2025 Golden Globes, but which one is more likely to take home Best Picture at the Oscars?

The award show celebrates success in both television and film across 27 categories. “Shōgun” and “Emila Pérez” won the most in their mediums.