The unraveling of the awards whirlwind surrounding the film Emilia Pérez is nothing short of captivating. It’s ironic, really—a top-tier controversy for what many consider a middle-tier film. Every day seems to bring fresh comedic twists as those in the privileged circles of showbiz, striving to do the politically correct thing, now find themselves tangled in an unexpectedly messy situation. Take Zoe Saldaña, for instance. Her Oscar campaign has taken a hit, all thanks to her co-star from a marginalized community, whose past behavior showed a lack of consideration for others. Reflecting on her experience, she humorously stated, “I’m allowing myself to still experience joy.”
I’m with you there, Zoe. It seems we’re all finding a bit of humor in this situation.
If the name Emilia Pérez isn’t ringing a bell, here’s the scoop: it’s a musical film about a transgender Mexican drug lord. After its premiere at Cannes, Netflix—a platform with its own set of success metrics—acquired it. The film, along with lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón, racked up numerous award nominations. Gascón, in a spotlight moment at the Golden Globes, declared, “The light always wins over darkness … I am who I am, not who you want.” However, old tweets unearthed some controversies, revealing her critical stance on various communities. Yet, ironically, her critique of the Oscars could be the most damaging in the eyes of Hollywood’s marginalized groups. “I didn’t know if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration, or the 8M [Women’s March],” she once remarked about the 2012 Academy Awards. “Apart from that, it was an ugly, ugly gala.” Talk about sparking outrage.
With a budget of $25 million and just $13.5 million in theatrical earnings, Emilia Pérez’s cinematic success seems overstated. Yet, for Netflix, a good run on the platform is all that matters. The most coveted prize is, of course, movie awards. It’s puzzling to think about what the dedicated Emilia Pérez awards team was doing—because missing the task of managing Gascón’s old tweets seems like a rookie oversight. Proactive damage control is vital, yet Netflix now finds itself scrambling to shield the film’s award potential. Amusingly, the promotion for Emilia Pérez has started to downplay its own star.
This maneuver might seem odd to some, especially considering current cultural dialogues which stir confusion—like accusations of trans erasure in a movie that some suggest downplays Mexican identity. This takes us back to the response to Jeanine Cummins’ novel, American Dirt, in 2020. She faced backlash for its depiction of Mexican experiences despite extensive research. Clearly, these issues are more complex than once portrayed.
This brings us to why the drama surrounding Emilia Pérez is particularly compelling. It coincides with a critical discussion about the aftermath and potential consequences of the cultural politics that have shaped recent years.
I recently chatted with pollster James Kanagasooriam, who put it nicely when he said, “the left tends to issue-bundle.” It’s a fitting description. People are feeling the weight of a system that pressures them to embrace an entire package of ideologies rather than evaluate each on its own merit. It’s as if you’re expected to agree with every single stance to avoid being deemed “on the wrong side of history.” But, as James observed, most people don’t actually think like that. He cited how many in the UK support gay rights, yet some within this group might also back the death penalty—a typically non-progressive stance.
Back to Emilia Pérez: a film championing a trans narrative with Latin actors and ambitious cinematic style. That should be a win, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. There’s backlash from both Mexican and trans communities, and now longtime liberal Academy voters feel the need to reconsider their stance due to the controversy. What was hyped as a breakthrough in progressive cinema now risks being labeled outdated.
Before wrapping up, I must express my distaste for the phrase “the wrong side of history.” It’s become a lazy, coercive tactic to push people into agreement. Like the assumption that sharing a viewpoint with someone across the ideological spectrum defines you—it’s pure nonsense.
The current political climate in the U.S. seems exacerbated by endless categorizing of what belongs on either side of history. Oddly, it feels like the left, who frequently decry polarization, might be more invested in it than the right. Maybe the film industry will tackle such themes in a future big hit, drawing more audiences to theaters.
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