Selena Gomez’s latest film Emilia Perez has stirred a whirlwind of opinions among her fans, with reactions as polarized as they come.
The Netflix musical-thriller, directed by Jacques Audiard, features the 32-year-old pop star-turned-actress in the role of Jessi Del Monte, a wife and mother of two.
While some gave her performance a thumbs up, the film itself has left audiences pretty split, with a lot of viewers downright trashing it.
On Reddit, one user minced no words, describing Emilia Perez as ‘genuinely maybe the worst movie of the year for me.’
They didn’t hold back, adding, ‘Insanely offensive, yes (it manages to windmill slam on every single bad trans movie trope, and that’s even before you get into the Mexican culture aspect of it all), but frankly, the worst part of it was how incredibly boring everything was.’
Another critic shared the sentiment, writing, ‘I’m honestly baffled that this movie has gotten any love at all.’
Yet another posted, ‘Felt like watching a bad SNL skit in many parts.’
Over on Twitter, some fans had a completely different take, raving about the film’s concepts and performances.
One user called it the ‘movie of the year’ while another called it ‘a true spectacle in every sense’ for the better.
‘Emilia Pérez is a symphony of emotions, a wildly-original and poignant musical that explores complex and provocative ideas through powerful storytelling,’ the user said.
Another user said that Audiard ‘handled beautifully’ the movie’s ‘themes of identity and transformation,’ describing it as ‘a unique blend of comedy, crime, and musical elements that worked together in the most unexpected ways.’
The movie is set in Mexico and tells the story of a lawyer who receives ‘an unexpected offer to help a feared cartel boss retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the woman he’s always dreamed of being,’ according to an IMDb synopsis.
The film made waves earlier this year, winning the Jury Prize at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May, with the female ensemble snagging the Best Actress award.
Editor-in-Chief Nina Garcia gushed to guests at the premiere, ‘What a miracle of a movie this is,’ per an account from Elle,
‘It is surprising and moving and audacious, unlike anything I have ever seen. But, most of all, it is a complete original. As a fellow storyteller, I know this is the hardest thing to achieve, and when we do it well, it is the most satisfying.’
She added, ‘When I look around this room, I see the diversity within our community. You all bring such an incredible range of backgrounds and special talents. But I also see our unity.’
Gomez also touched on the subject of community as she reflected in the magazine cover story: ‘The sisterhood ended up becoming what got us through. It’s still getting me through. I’m so glad that I’m not doing a bunch of scary things on my own.’
The chatter around Gomez’s role in the film is still going strong, but for now, it’s unclear if Emilia Perez is a hit or just a lot of hype.
