When Jacques Audiard first told people he wanted to make a Spanish-language musical about a Mexican cartel boss undergoing gender-affirming surgery, most folks probably thought he’d finally lost the plot. It sounds like a fever dream. Or maybe a dare. But then the cast of Emilia Pérez walked onto the stage at Cannes, and suddenly, the world stopped laughing and started reaching for their tissues.
Honestly, the hype is real. You’ve got Zoe Saldaña doing things her Marvel fans never dreamed of, Selena Gomez proving she’s a serious dramatic heavyweight, and a literal history-making performance by Karla Sofía Gascón.
But there’s a lot of noise out there. Some people think it’s just a "Selena Gomez movie." Others think it’s a standard crime thriller. It’s neither. It’s a messy, loud, heart-wrenching opera that somehow works because the chemistry between these four women is electric.
The Powerhouse Trio and a History-Making Lead
If you're looking for the heart of the film, you have to start with Karla Sofía Gascón. She doesn't just play the title character; she owns the entire screen. Gascón plays both Manitas, the fearsome leader of a drug empire, and Emilia, the woman she becomes.
Most directors would have hired two different actors for that. Audiard almost did. He thought he needed a man for the first half and a trans woman for the second. But Gascón fought for both. She told him it wouldn't make sense any other way—that the soul has to be the same. She was right. Watching her transition on screen isn't just about the physical change; it’s about the shift in her eyes. It’s no wonder she became the first openly trans woman to win Best Actress at Cannes (a prize she shared with her co-stars).
Zoe Saldaña as Rita Mora Castro
Then there’s Zoe Saldaña. Forget Gamora or Neytiri for a second. In this film, she’s Rita, a brilliant but "invisible" lawyer stuck in a soul-crushing firm in Mexico City. She’s the one who gets the midnight call from Manitas.
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Rita is the engine of the movie. Saldaña brings this frantic, desperate energy to the role that feels so incredibly human. There’s a scene where she performs a song called "El Mal" at a gala, and it’s arguably the most visceral thing she’s ever done. It’s not "pretty" singing. It’s raw. It’s a woman finally screaming back at a world that tried to bury her.
Selena Gomez as Jessi
Selena Gomez plays Jessi, the wife Manitas leaves behind. This is the role that has people talking. Gomez has been doing great work on Only Murders in the Building, but Jessi is a different beast. She’s a mother who is grieving a husband who isn't actually dead.
The complexity here is wild. Jessi is messy. She’s sometimes unlikable. She’s trying to find a new life in Switzerland while unknowingly living under the same roof as her "dead" husband, who is now pretending to be a distant cousin. Gomez plays the confusion and the eventual betrayal with a quiet intensity that catches you off guard.
The Supporting Players You Shouldn't Overlook
While the big names get the posters, the cast of Emilia Pérez wouldn't hold together without the supporting actors who ground the more "operatic" moments.
- Adriana Paz (Epifanía): She plays a woman whose husband was a victim of the cartel. Her relationship with Emilia is one of the most touching—and complicated—parts of the story. Paz brings a vulnerability that reminds you of the real-world stakes in Mexico.
- Édgar Ramírez (Gustavo): He plays Jessi's lover. It’s a smaller role, but Ramírez brings that signature brooding intensity that makes the tension between the family members feel like a powder keg.
- Mark Ivanir (Dr. Wasserman): The surgeon who facilitates the transition. His scenes in Israel add a global layer to the film that you don't expect.
Why This Cast Worked (When It Shouldn't Have)
It was filmed in a studio near Paris. Think about that. A movie set in Mexico, about the Mexican cartel, with a Dominican-American star, a Spanish lead, and an American pop icon, filmed in France.
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It sounds like a recipe for a "tourist" movie.
But it avoids that because the cast committed to the "fever dream" aspect. Audiard didn't want a documentary. He wanted an archetype. He wanted something that felt like a Greek tragedy set to a reggaeton beat.
The chemistry isn't just "good acting." You can tell these women leaned on each other. During the 2024 awards season, they appeared as a unit. They shared the Best Actress award at Cannes because you literally cannot separate their performances. If Saldaña doesn't sell the fear, Gascón's transformation doesn't feel dangerous. If Gomez doesn't sell the grief, Emilia's redemption doesn't feel earned.
Misconceptions About the Movie
People keep asking if it’s a "trans movie."
Well, yes. But also no.
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It's a movie about the possibility of change. Gascón has been very vocal about this. She doesn't want the film to be put in a box. It's a crime movie. It's a musical. It's a story about a lawyer finding her voice. If you go in expecting a standard "transition story," you're going to be shocked when the guns come out and the singing starts.
What to Watch Next
If you’ve just finished the movie and you’re still processing that ending (don't worry, we all are), there are a few ways to dig deeper into the world of this cast:
- Track down "El Mal": Listen to the soundtrack. The music was written by French singer Camille and Clément Ducol. It’s even better when you aren't distracted by the subtitles.
- Watch Gascón in Rebelde: If you want to see her range, look at her earlier TV work. She’s been a staple of Spanish-language media for years.
- Check out Audiard’s A Prophet: If the crime elements of the film were your favorite part, this is his masterpiece. It’s grittier, but the DNA is the same.
The cast of Emilia Pérez did something rare in 2024. They took a bizarre, risky, and potentially offensive premise and turned it into something that feels deeply essential. It’s a reminder that sometimes the weirdest stories are the ones that tell us the most about being human.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Stream the official soundtrack on Spotify or Apple Music to hear the full versions of the songs by Saldaña and Gascón.
- Follow the awards season updates for 2025, as Gascón and Saldaña are heavily tipped for major nominations.
- Watch the behind-the-scenes interviews on Netflix to see how the choreography for "El Mal" was developed.