“Emilia Pérez” is unlike any musical I’ve ever seen before.

The musical numbers are original and inventive without trivializing the often heavy subject matter of the film. “Emilia Pérez” is much more than a musical, it is also a crime thriller and melodrama on par with the films of Pedro Almodóvar.

Zoe Saldaña stars as Rita, a lawyer hired to assist Manitas, an infamous cartel leader, in transitioning to a new life as a woman, the titular Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón).

After faking Manitas’ death, Emilia decides she misses her kids too much and recruits Rita to help facilitate them living with her as Manitas’ “cousin.” The kids are accompanied by their mother, Jessi (Selena Gomez).

On the professional side, Emilia is inspired by Rita to start a nonprofit that aims to find the bodies of people who have been kidnapped and murdered to give the loved ones they left behind some closure. Emilia seems to view this as a way to atone for Manitas’ sins and have a fresher start to this new chapter in her life.

However, things get complicated as Emilia and Jessi pursue new romantic relationships.

All three of these leading ladies are outstanding, and I can see why they shared the Cannes acting honors earlier this year. They seamlessly blend this film’s oddly intersecting genres, setting the emotion they’re feeling to pulsating songs that evoke the tension of the plot.

Rating: 4/5