Emilia Perez: Why are Mexicans pissed? (By a Mexican)

As a Mexican who has watched the movie before all the backlash started and feel this way from viewing it, I want to lay out the discomfort and share my opinion against "Emilia Perez."

As you watch the movie, and it's like they threw a big party at our house, decorated it with sombreros and piñatas, and then told us we're wrong for not liking it. They invited everyone except the actual hosts to give their opinion on the decorations, the food, the music... And when the hosts finally show up and say, "Hey, this isn't really our vibe, and honestly, it's kinda offensive," everyone else is like, "Well, we like it, so you're wrong."

When British or Irish actors play Americans, they at least try to nail the accent. They make an effort to sound authentic. But in "Emilia Perez," it's like they didn't even bother. Selena Gomez sounds like she's doing a Siri or Alexa impression. Zoe Saldaña's character is supposed to be Mexican, but she speaks with a Dominican accent the whole time. And Karla Sofia Gascón barely speaks, and when she does, it feels forced and unnatural, like she's trying to hide her accent.

And the slang. It's like they took a bunch of Mexican slang words, threw them in a blender, and sprinkled them randomly throughout the script. They use our words, but they use them wrong, in sentences that make absolutely no sense. It's like they think just by throwing in a few "güey" and "chingada" they're capturing the essence of Mexican Spanish.

It's like they think we won't notice, or that we won't care. We notice the lack of effort, the lazy stereotypes, the blatant disregard for our language and culture.

And what's even worse is that the director didn't even bother to do proper research. He actually mocked the idea that he needed to, saying he already knew enough about Mexico. It's like he thinks he's some kind of expert just because he watched Narcos on Netflix.

It's frustrating because it feels like they're profiting off our culture while ignoring our voices. And it's not like there aren't talented Mexican or Latin actresses who could have done a much better job. Think about Karla Souza, Eiza González, Ana de Armas, Adria Arjona... the list goes on and on. Any of them could have brought authenticity and nuance to these roles.

If they had at least done some research and cast actors who actually understand the culture, they could have avoided all of this. They could have made a film that was actually respectful and authentic, and maybe even learned something in the process.

It's a shame, really, because the movie had potential. But by ignoring Mexican perspectives, they missed an opportunity to tell a meaningful story.

It's lazy, it's disrespectful. We hope to see ourselves reflected on screen in a way that is authentic and respectful, not as a caricature.

We have enough with the political rhetoric against Mexicans already to have our culture being mocked this way worldwide.

UPDATE: Thanks u/rowdover and others for pointing out that Zoe’s character mentions she is born in Dominican Republican.

I hate myself for having to rewatch, and I still hold my opinion for the following:

In London she answers to Emilia when she asks if she’s English, Zoe’s character replies: “I’m Mexican”, then says “From Veracruz”, but that she was born in Dominican and went to school in Mexico(Veracruz). Meanwhile her law degree is from UNAM, in Mexico City, so it’s fair to say she went to school in Veracruz before adulthood, likely as a child or teen. Making little sense for her to have a strong Dominican accent so further in time, while using Mexican slang all over the place.

This should be scrutinized even more just by the fact that they say she is born in Dominican and Selena is American, both cop outs, releasing production from not doing an effort in them not having proper accents or saying coherent lines. It’s not completely their fault. I blame the production and direction.

Zoey is a good and talented actress. But this performance is far from a performance you expect from a best actress.

If this movie is competing for all the awards and also winning them, it should be measured with the same standards as the other praised English speaking movies, where the production and the actors do put an effort in making accurate representations.

UPDATE 2: It seems most people here are focusing on the section where I talk about the actresses' accents. While that aspect is indeed frustrating for many Spanish-speaking viewers, the problems with this movie go far beyond accents.

The real issue lies in its overall representation.

The movie trivializes serious, real-world issues faced by Mexicans, such as disappearances and narco-violence, by addressing them in a superficial, caricatured way.

Additionally, the portrayal of Mexico is stereotypical and reductive—depicting it as nothing more than street markets, deserts, or a sepia-toned backdrop. To make matters worse, the production team claimed the roles were initially intended for Mexicans but suggested they couldn’t find "talent" in Mexico. Then, they released the movie in Mexico last, as if they anticipated the backlash and wanted to avoid facing it directly. The director even canceled a scheduled Q&A session in Mexico this week, unable to handle the criticism.

If you enjoyed the movie, that’s fine. But please don’t tell others how to feel or react. It’s also unhelpful to dismiss the movie as “not meant to be taken seriously” when it touches on deeply sensitive topics. These subjects aren’t a joke, and portraying them as such only adds insult to injury.