In his genre-defying crime musical drama film, ‘Emilia Pérez’ Director Jacques Audiard presents a captivating story wherein every element entertains and intrigues. It revolves around the titular Emilia Pérez, a cartel boss who is planning on covertly finishing her transition through gender-affirming surgery. This decision arrives on the heels of her desire to exit the unforgiving underworld and lead a regular life. As a result, she reaches out to lawyer Rita Mora Castro for help with this endeavor. However, years later, Emilia—who is now living her authentic life—returns to Rita in a bid to reconnect with her past, particularly the wife, Jessi, and the kids she previously left behind.
Throughout the multi-lingual narrative, Emilia’s tale remains thrilling with pleasantly abrupt and enchanting musical numbers, thrilling danger, and a basket of compelling sentimentalities surrounding these characters. As such, the film seamlessly sweeps the audience up in its groove. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of possible next-watches for you if you’re left itching for something similar to ‘Emilia Perez.’
10. A History of Violence (2005)
‘A History of Violence’ is a crime-driven film that tackles the premise of a haunting past that vies to ruin a revised present. This film, directed by David Cronenberg, follows a small-town resident, Tom Stall, who lives a quiet life as a husband, father, and mild-mannered diner owner. However, he becomes the subject of unwanted media scrutiny after he heroically stops a dangerous robbery. Worse yet, the public attention brings out certain people from Tom’s past. As a result, his wife, Edie, and son, Jack, learn about his violent background as a former gangster.
Despite their variety of differences, Jack from ‘A History of Violence’ and Emilia from ‘Emilia Perez’ share the difficult experience of being an ex-gangster. Therefore, you might like this film if you’re interested in stories about getting pulled back into one’s shady past.
9. Bound (1996)
‘Bound’ is a crime thriller film that revolves around a central dynamic duo. With the Wachowski Sisters Lana and Lilly as the writers/directors, the film follows ex-con Corky, who falls into an erotically titillating whirlwind romance with Violet. As the affair between the two women grows, they prepare a plan to run away together from Violet’s mobster boyfriend, Caesar. Thus, a plan emerges to steal the 2 million dollars out of the mob’s pockets and escape after pinning the blame on Caesar. Ultimately, the final question remains: can these two women survive the end of their scheme?
‘Bound’ is for fans of ‘Emilia Perez’ who were more interested in Rita Moro Castro’s character and found themselves consistently rooting for her relationship with Epifanía. As the two films share themes of crime, drama, and love between them, they intrinsically appeal to fans of the genre.
8. Mutt (2023)
‘Mutt‘ is an enlightening and affirming drama film directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz that tells the simple but nuanced story of a young transgender man. The film takes place in New York over the course of 24 hours. When the protagonist, Feña, starts his day, he isn’t expecting it to bring constant blasts from his past. However, that’s exactly what happens as he runs into his father, his straight ex-boyfriend, and his younger sister—three people whose lives he has been filtered out of after his transition for one reason or another. Consequently, Feña finds himself in a bind as he learns to traverse new dynamics in relationships of old.
‘Mutt’ highlights the reality of the transgender experience, particularly in regard to the hard work that reconciliation with a marooned past takes. Thus, even though Feña’s experiences remain vastly different from Emilia’s from ‘Emilia Pérez,’ both protagonists face similar situations born from their past gender transitions.
7. Carlito’s Way (1993)
‘Carlito’s Way,’ a gangster film directed by Brian De Palma that stars Al Pacino, would be the pick for viewers whose favorite aspect of ‘Emilia Perez’ was the crime-laced narrative that follows the latter’s protagonist. The film centers around Carlito Brigante, a criminal who has freshly returned to the streets of New York after serving his prison sentence. Naturally, his first instinct is to swear off of the con-life. Yet, before he knows it, he’s stumbling back into old habits, taking on doomed jobs with every intention to skip town once he gathers enough money. Nevertheless, as he falls back in with his paramour, Gail, a nightclub dancer, he realizes old habits really do die hard.
‘Carlito’s Way’ shares the more legally disinclined aspects and themes of ‘Emilia Perez’ as it charts the story of a criminal desperate to escape his criminality but unable to do so. Although Emilia and Carlito both embark on different paths for different reasons, both fall victim to the beguiling pull of a dark past.
6. A Fantastic Woman (2018)
Sebastián Lelio’s ‘A Fantastic Woman,’ also known as ‘Una Mujer Fantástica,’ is a Spanish drama film that dives into the complicated aftermath of a woman’s lover. Marina is a transgender singer/waitress who works at a nightclub frequented by an older gentleman, Orlando. After the duo’s paths cross, it isn’t long before they develop a mutual attraction, and the two enter a relationship with each other. However, after Orlando falls to his unfortunate death one night, Marina finds herself caught in the middle of a police investigation. Grieving the loss of a loved one but needlessly scrutinized for her relationship due to its unconventional nature, Marina arrives at an uncertain time in her life.
‘A Fantastic Woman’ is an emotionally moving story that explores and examines different facets of love through the lens of a transgender protagonist. Therefore, much like ‘Emilia Perez,’ this film delivers a nuanced tale about a unique set of experiences and struggles.
5. Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Based on a true story, ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ tells the devastating tale of a young boy whose life unravels due to the pressures of social prejudice. Brandon Teena is a regular teenager in a small Nebraskan town who enjoys hanging out with his friends and spending time with his girlfriend, Lana. However, things take a turn when the secret of his gender identity as a transgender man comes out. As a result, overnight, he becomes the victim of overwhelming hate crimes that take over his life.
‘Boys Don’t Cry’ is an emotionally intense film whose sensitive and dark elements may require the viewer’s discretion. Brandon Teena’s story is a tragic one that compels the audience to engage with socially prevalent themes of prejudice and discrimination. For ‘Emilia Perez’ fans who were moved by the exploration of Emilia’s struggle as a transgender individual in a hyper-masculine world, this film will prove to be worth the watch.
4. Boy Meets Girl (2015)
Eric Schaeffer’s romance comedy film ‘Boy Meets Girl’ takes a deeper dive into the idea of community, identity, and love. Ricky Jones, a young transgender girl, is at the center of the narrative as she navigates life in her small town while dreaming of being a designer in New York. However, she’s thrown in for a curve when her path crosses with Francesca Duval, a debutante unlike any other. Although sparks fly between the two girls—an already confusing ordeal for Ricky—things are further complicated with the matter of Francesca’s fiance, David, the Marine.
‘Boy Meets Girl’ delivers a unique but authentic understanding of themes and ideas of the coming-of-age genre that remain universally relatable. Yet, its strength remains in the exceptional portrayal of a transgender protagonist. As such, if ‘Emilia Perez’ has incited an eagerness for such stories, this is the film for you.
3. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ is one of the more well-known and well-loved pieces of transgender media in contemporary queer culture. Based on John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s 1998 eponymous stage musical, this film takes the viewers on the personal cathartic journey of the protagonist, Hedwig Robinson. Hedwig is a German emigrant who moves to America on the fake promises of a former lover who coerces the aspiring rock singer into a botched gender-affirming surgery. As a result, Hedwig now lives in Kansas, leading her rock band on a US tour that follows on the heels of another artist, Tommy, Hedwig’s previous mentee who stole her music. Thus, as the genderqueer rockstar embarks on her tour, she shares her story for all its grits and glory.
‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and ‘Emilia Perez’ present two very different stories with similar thematic building blocks that remain uniquely authentic in their own way. Therefore, if you’d like to delve deeper into the themes of gender identity, you should give this film a try.
2. All About My Mother (1999)
Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘All About My Mother’ is a drama comedy film that offers a vast exploration of grief and acceptance sewed into a compelling portrayal of relevant social issues. Nurse Argentine Manuela Echevarria helms the narrative as a mother who tragically loses her son in a car accident. After heavy-heartedly greenlighting her teenage son’s organ transplant procedure to save another man’s life, Manuela makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to embark on a daunting venture. The goal of her journey is to meet her former spouse—who has transitioned into a woman, Lola, since their separation, and tell him about their son’s life and death.
Manuela’s overwhelming journey includes numerous pitstops, where she meets numerous individuals who give her a new understanding of family. The story efficiently mixes the drama and comedy genres together and tells a riveting story about femininity and motherhood—something fans of ‘Emilia Perez’ will appreciate.
1. Transamerica (2005)
Directed by Duncan Tucker’ Transamerica’ is a unique road trip comedy film that follows an unconventional mother-son duo. Days before her gender-affirming surgery, Bree Osbourne gets a call from Toby Wilkins, her apparent teenage son whom she never knew about. As it turns out, Toby is a petty criminal who has found himself in some trouble in New York and is reaching out to the person he thinks is his father. As a result, Bree finds herself with the task of bailing her son out of jail and driving him to Los Angeles so that he can fulfill his dream of becoming a porn actor.
However, of course, as Bree undertakes this trip, she makes the decision to avoid any painful conversations and lies about her identity to Toby. Inevitably, things don’t work out as either individual imagined them to. Bree’s story mirrors ‘Emilia Perez’ in its depiction of the complications of parental relationships between transgender parents and their kids post-transitioning. As a result, if you’ve found that idea intriguing, you might enjoy this film.
Read More: Emilia Perez: Is the Netflix Movie Based on a True Story?
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