Netflix has released the trailer for Jacques Audiard’s Cannes-winning musical drama Emilia Perez, positioning it as a major Oscar contender this fall. Starring Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, the film was a standout at Cannes, winning the jury prize and earning best actress honors for Saldaña, Gomez, and their co-stars Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz.
The official synopsis from Netflix describes Emilia Perez as an odyssey following four remarkable women in Mexico, each in pursuit of their happiness. The formidable cartel leader Emilia (Gascón) enlists Rita (Saldaña), an overworked lawyer in a dead-end job, to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her “true self” and undergo gender reassignment surgery. The supporting cast includes Edgar Ramírez.
After its buzz-worthy premiere at Cannes, Netflix acquired Emilia Perez, which has drawn critical acclaim. Variety film critic Peter Debruge praised the film as an “exhilarating Spanish-language (half-sung) portrait of a former cartel boss’s life-changing transformation.” He noted that Audiard’s film, while not strictly adhering to all LGBT advocacy codes, offers a powerful, unfiltered depiction of someone who defies multiple stereotypes, thanks in part to Gascón’s personal experience.
Emilia Perez is set to open in select theaters on November 1, before streaming on Netflix starting November 13.
