The 2025 Oscars sparked controversy when “Emilia Pérez”, a movie musical about a lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) helping a Mexican cartel leader (Karla Sofía Gascón) disappear and transition into a woman. While welcomed by critics, the movie was poorly received by audiences, receiving a 16% on the Popcornmeter in Rotten Tomatoes. This discrepancy between the opinions of audiences and critics about the film led to outrage when it was nominated for 13 Oscars, more than any other film this year.

The movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Song (twice), and Best Supporting Actress, among others, and it ended up winning for Best Original Song (“El Mal”) and Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña). So, why did people hate it so much? There are a host of reasons. 

First of all, there were many criticisms of the music. It was described by people on social media as boring and not catchy. Under a TikTok video of “El Mal”, the track that won the film Best Original Song, scathing comments were directed at the song.

“Does the composer know there are more than three notes?” said one commenter.

The way certain topics were handled in the music was also criticized, with a consensus being that writers seemed to just be checking the boxes with themes like violence and drugs without nuance and sensitivity in some songs. Audiences said this made pacing seem rushed and the music unenjoyable to listen to. 

Still others criticized the film for inaccurate depictions of Mexico, with Cristina Ibañez, a Mexican journalist, bluntly telling actress Zoe Saldaña about how hurtful the film’s offensive portrayals of Mexicans were at the Oscars. 

This insensitivity was likely fueled by the shocking lack of actual Mexican representation in a film set in Mexico. Of the film’s lead cast, none of the actors are actually from Mexico. In fact, the film was shot in France and produced by French companies, with a French director, Jacques Audiard. 

Another source of controversy surrounding “Emilia Pérez” was the unearthing of several racist and Islamophobic X (Twitter) posts made by leading actress Karla Sofía Gascón several years ago. In the tweets, Gascón wrote about how George Floyd’s death wasn’t caused by racism, how Islam and other religions violated human rights and should be banned, and how the Oscars themselves celebrated so many “protest films” that she felt like she was watching a Black Lives Matter protest. 

Whatever your opinion on the film, “Emilia Pérez” won two Oscars this year, and many consider them well-deserved. Differing vastly from the opinions of the audience, critics praised the film for being skillfully directed and well-made. It also represents the first time an openly trans actress (Gascón) was nominated in the Oscars, and the actors seemed well-meaning in their portrayals in the film. 

“We came from a place of love,” said Saldaña when confronted by Ibañez. “I will stand by that.”