Warning! This post contains minor spoilers for Emilia Pérez and Wicked.
Emilia Pérez, starring award-winning actresses Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Zoe Saldaña, is currently streaming on Netflix and impressively has more Golden Globe nominations than the smash hit movieWicked.Wickedearned a staggering $333 million at the box office, easily making it one of the year’s biggest movies. In fact,Wickedis the only non-sequel in the top 10 moviesof 2024.
Emilia Pérezcannot be a direct point of comparison in that sense, as the movie had a limited theatrical release before becoming available on Netflix on June 23, 2025. Despite that difference andbacklash toEmilia Pérez, the movie has clearly garnered significant attention, not only in terms of viewership but also in terms of award nominations.WhereasWickedreceived four 2025 Golden Globe nominations,Emilia Pérezhas ten.
Emilia Pérez Is Available On Netflix - What The Movie Is About
This Musical-Thriller Covers A Number Of Heavy Topics
Multiple stories are woven intoEmilia Pérez, although, notably,Emilia Pérezis not based on a true story.The primary story is that of the titular lead, Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón), a trans woman who fakes her death, separating herself from her wife and two children as she undergoes social and medical transition. Prior to her transition, Emilia was high up in the Mexican cartel, a fact which begins to haunt her as she must confront her history of violence in her new life. Ultimately, Emilia begins a nonprofit, helping to find and/or identify victims of the cartel.
Among the criticisms aboutEmilia Pérezwas the notion that, by presenting transition as a ‘death,’ the movie reinforced harmful stereotypes about the trans community.
Emilia is also eventually reunited with her family, although she pretends to be an estranged cousin so that they do not recognize her. This story is effective, as neither her two children nor her former wife realize who she is, but this has disastrous consequences. Because she does not recognize her, Emilia’s wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), becomes alarmed by Emilia’s behavior, particularly regarding their children, and makes drastic decisions that end in tragedy.
This story is effective, as neither her two children nor her former wife recognize her, but this has disastrous consequences.
In tandem with this story is the story of Zoe Saldaña’s character, Rita, who is a lawyer initially hired by Emilia to help her find surgeons who will provide her with the gender affirming care she is seeking. After Rita does so, the two part ways, but they have a chance encounter years later that throws their lives back together again. In fact, Rita plays a major role in Emilia’s nonprofit before the story takes a much darker turn intheEmilia Pérezending.
Emilia Pérez Cast & Character Guide
The award-winning cast of Netflix’s Emilia Pérez is led by the outstanding performances of potential Oscar nominees Karla Sofía Gascón & Zoe Saldaña.
Emilia Pérez & Wicked Are Both Huge 2024 Movie Musicals Focusing On Women
Womanhood Is Explored In Unique Ways In Each Movie
Although the stories behindWickedandEmilia Pérezare obviously quite different, both are major musicals, andthere are a number of similar themes in the two films, particularly pertaining to identity and womanhood. InWicked, the focus on womanhood is largely explored through female friendships, especially the friendship between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda/Galinda (Ariana Grande). The two women begin as enemies and polar opposites, but they find common ground with one another eventually.
10 Best Wicked Scenes That Highlight Glinda & Elphaba’s Powerful Friendship
Wicked’s Elphaba and Glinda teach audiences many important lessons about the power of friendship, standing by each other in moments of crisis.
In terms of identity inWicked, Elphaba is also ostracized and demonized, mainly because of her green skin but also because of her powers, which many seem to be afraid of.Wickedsees Elphaba grappling with how she truly feels about herself, in spite of all that has been said about her and what she knows are other people’s perceptions of her. InEmilia Pérez, womanhood and identity are also key.
InEmilia Pérez, womanhood and identity are also key.
It’s apparent from early on inEmilia Pérezthat Emilia is experiencing painful gender dysphoria, and (as she indicates herself) has for her whole life, but that she has never felt comfortable expressing who she truly is. It is for this reason that Emilia goes to such great lengths to hide the truth from her family and build a completely new life.There is also a theme of friendships between women inEmilia Pérez, as Rita and Emilia become quite close in the movie, despite their rocky beginnings.
Why Emilia Pérez Has More Golden Globe Nominations Than Wicked
These Nominations Come Down To The Number Of Eligible Actors And Songs
Emilia Pérezhas six more Golden Globe nominations thanWickedin 2025, but much of that comes down to the eligible songs and actors each movie has. A major aspect ofWicked’slimited nominations is the fact thatWickedwas ineligible to be nominated for Best Original Song becausetheWickedsoundtrackdid not include any original songs. They were all from the original Broadway musical. By contrast,the soundtrack forEmilia Pérezis full of original songs.
Wickedwas ineligible to be nominated for Best Original Song.
Emilia Pérezalso has more actors who are eligible for nominations. ForWicked, Cynthia Erivo is nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and Ariana Grande is nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture. They are the onlyWickedactors nominated.
ForEmilia Pérez, Karla Sofía Gascón is nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña are both nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture. Notably, Karla Sofía Gascón is the first openly trans woman to be nominated in this category.Emilia Pérezis also nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and others.
Which Actresses From Emilia Pérez & Wicked Are Mostly Likely To Win Awards This Season
Each Movie Has Its Own Stand-Outs
It’s impossible to know for certain who will be walking away with awards this season, as in any season.2024 was an incredibly competitive year, especially for musicals, it seems, and all the nominees are very deserving. With how celebratedWickedhas been, though, it is a bit challenging to imagine Cynthia Erivo not getting the win for best actress. Similarly, Ariana Grande’s performance as Galinda/Glinda inWickedhas been very celebrated, and it would be a surprise if she didn’t win. Of course, there are other contenders to consider as well.
However,Emilia Pérezwas clearly a major hit based on the sheer number of nominations the musical received, which may mean that there could be an upset.Emilia Pérezalso has double the chances of having an actress earn the best supporting role award. It remains to be seen who will win out in these various categories, particularly best actress and best supporting actress. Nevertheless, it is notable and impressive thatEmilia Pérezhas received quite a few more Golden Globe nominations thanWicked.
Emilia Perez
Cast
Emilia Perez is a drama film that follows the life of Emilia Perez, a determined and ambitious individual striving to make a name for herself in a competitive environment. The story explores her journey as she navigates the challenges and obstacles that come her way, all while uncovering the complexities of her own identity.
Wicked
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
