Record-breaking Netflix film is now the awards season front-runner against all odds-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

Could 2025 be the year, and awards season, belonging to Emilia Pérez? (Picture: Reuters)

The first big awards bash of the year is over with the Golden Globes wrapped, and Netflix’s record-breaking film has emerged as the awards season front-runner – almost against all odds.

Although there was no dramatic sweeping run of wins across the board for one film, such as La La Land’s unmatched run of seven gongs in 2017, it was still a very good showing that almost matched Oppenheimer last year taking five wins from eight nominations.

Emilia Pérez was the clear winner at Sunday’s Golden Globes, nabbing four big wins with best film – musical or comedy, best non-English language film, best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña and a best original song victory.

Considering the genre-defying crime musical had a whopping 10 nominations going into the Golden Globes, it might seem like a bit of a muted triumph.

However, when it’s an awards do with a lower haul to beat (none of your 11 statuettes like the Oscars) – and considering which ones they are – it can still put Emilia Pérez as the one to beat at the Academy Awards in March, with my pick of The Brutalist following closely behind thanks to its three Golden Globes.

Emilia Pérez was already singled out with its hefty collection of 10 nods ahead of this glitzy ceremony. Only one movie in history has earned more Golden Globe nominations, and that was 1975 musical comedy drama Nashville, directed by Robert Altman. It won just one, for best original song with I’m Easy.

The Netflix film is musical, crime drama, thriller and dark comedy all in one (Picture: Netflix)

Combine that with La La Land too, and the Golden Globes obviously love a musical – helped by having the separate categories between drama and musical or comedy for best film and the best leading performances.

Adding a slightly odd note to the evening, there was also an awards leaderboard on the wall at the ceremony, ranking studios by the number of Golden Globes they secured – Netflix topped it with seven overall, but fans described it as ‘tacky’ and ‘a tad messed up’ to so openly revel in the competitive element when judging art.

Nonetheless, Emilia Pérez marked the streamer’s first success in the best film – musical or comedy category (they’ve won best picture – drama once before with The Power of the Dog in 2022).

But it’s not only the Golden Globes where Emilia Pérez is considered the favourite as it also equalled an eye-opening Bafta record last week too, when the British organisation unveiled its longlist. Ahead of the final shortlist being announced on January 15, Bafta revealed which films were in the mix – and Emilia Pérez dominated with 15 nominations.

Zoe Saldaña won the best supporting actress gong, one of four Emilia Pérez was awarded – including best film in the comedy or musical category – at Sunday’s Golden Globes (Picture: Robyn Beck/AFP)

That is the most that’s ever been achieved, alongside the likes of 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front and 2023’s Oppenheimer – both of which went on to clinch the Bafta for best film. Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon also secured 15 longlist nods last year as well, in what was a particularly strong year.

Not all of these longlist mentions will of course convert to official Bafta nominations, but Emilia Pérez is stood in very good stead – as it has appeared to be with critics since its break-out premiere at Cannes Film Festival last May, before Netflix even picked it up.

Emilia Pérez’s remarkable run could put it as the Oscars favourite, but it dates back to the Cannes Film Festival last May (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Many are hoping Karla Sofía Gascón could become the first trans woman to win a best actress Oscar, marking another record the film would have equalled or broken (Picture: Getty)

There, it won the Jury Prize for writer-director Jacques Audiard and was nominated for the top honour of the Palme d’Or, while also clinching a joint best actress prize for its female stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Adriana Paz.

But alongside all of these accolades, there’s a lot that could have held Emilia Pérez back. Firstly, it’s a bizarre blend of genres that span crime thriller, drama, musical and dark comedy. Clearly the awards voters are enjoying that bold mash-up so far, but it’s certainly a large risk to have taken – not least because musicals are still struggling to bring back mainstream appeal, although Wicked may help herald a new golden age for the movie art form).

The movie was the most nominated this year – and one of the most ever – at the Golden Globes, as well as securing the most mentions on the Bafta longlist (Picture: Why Not Productions/Pathe/France 2 Cinema)

It’s also a Spanish-language feature, not English, which has always been a barrier to the best international movies breaking through in the US and English-speaking markets. Director Bong Joon-ho even referenced ‘the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles’ stopping fans being introduced to ‘so many more amazing films’ while accepting the Golden Globe for best foreign language film in 2020. He would later go on to win best director, screenplay and film at the Oscars – the first non-English language movie to scoop the latter in history.

There are also many gunning for Emilia Pérez lead star Karla Sofía Gascón to make history as the first trans woman to win best actress at the Oscars. She plays a fearsome crime boss who undergoes gender confirmation surgery and disappears into a new life, creating a nonprofit to help the families of those targeted by the cartel.

However, Emilia Pérez has sparked backlash for its depiction of transition as well as its casting and creatives (Picture: Netflix)

It could also face an uphill battle as a Spanish-language film – and a musical (Picture: Why Not Productions/Pathe/France 2 Cinema)

But there has been backlash to how Audiard opted to portray Emilia’s transition from her former life as Manitas, with GLAAD calling it ‘a profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman’, as well as how Emilia appears to separate herself fully from the deeds of her past.

He’s also been criticised as a French filmmaker telling a Mexican story, while there’s, predictably, been hate for Selena Gomez’s involvement as a non-fluent Spanish speaker – despite her being a third-generation American-Mexican after her grandparents emigrated from Monterrey in the 1970s.

Adriana Paz is the only Mexican actress to take a main role in the movie, with Gascón from Spain and Saldaña an American-Dominican with Puerto Rican ancestry.

As we already well know, there is no such thing as the perfect winner during awards season – some date a lot better than others – and it’s rarely even the ‘best’ film winning as so many other factors play into the campaign.

But as we hurtle headlong into awards season proper, it appears Emilia Pérez is the one to beat.

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