The 2025 Golden Globes were an opportunity to celebrate a cinema that reinvents itself while drawing on universal themes. “Emilia Perez” by Jacques Audiard, with its emotional charge and its exploration of gender transition, largely dominated the ceremony, winning with four trophies, including best comedy.
With ten nominations in its pocket, the film, which won an award at Cannes and broadcast on Netflix, did not disappoint. This musical tale of a Mexican drug trafficker’s gender transition was a success, winning not only Best Comedy but also Best International Film. Zoe Saldaña was praised for her role as supporting actress, and the soundtrack, by Camille and Clément Ducol, won the award for best song.
Jacques Audiard, filmmaker passionate about marginalized characters, dedicated this victory “to all those who feel worried today”. The director urged his fans to “keep their heads high, keep fighting and hope for better days.”
Emilia Perez also highlighted actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who plays the heroine of the film. She spoke with undeniable force: “You can perhaps put us in prison, you can beat us, but you will never be able to take away our soul, our resistance, our identity.”
However, on the Hollywood scene, the consecration of Emilia Perez encountered a shadow, that of Demi Moore’s performance. The actress was crowned best actress in a comedy for her role in “The Substance”, a film by Coralie Fargeat where she plays a former Hollywood star obsessed with eternal youth. This daring role in a horrific work, exploring the excesses of a rejuvenating serum with monstrous effects, earned him recognition that he had lacked for years. “I have been doing this job for over 45 years, and this is the first time I have won something as an actress,” she declared, marked by emotion.
If “Emilia Perez” lit up the evening, “The Brutalist”, another big winner of the Golden Globes, did not fail to make an impression. Brady Corbet’s film, a dark portrait of a Holocaust survivor architect trying to rebuild his life in the United States, won three major trophies: best dramatic film, best director for Corbet, and best actor for Adrien Brody. This 3h30 long film, hailed as a masterpiece by critics and already compared to classics like “The Godfather”, positions itself as a serious contender for the Oscars.
Brady Corbet, in a powerful statement, expressed his admiration for artistic independence: “No one was asking for a three-and-a-half hour film about a mid-century designer on 70 millimeter film, but it works. » His plea in favor of the creative control of directors in the face of studio pressure highlights current issues in the film industry. For its part, “Conclave”, the papal thriller, won the prize for best screenplay, providing a profound reflection on the power struggles within the Vatican.
The evening of the 2025 Golden Globes was also marked by the diversity of the winners. In particular, Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres caused a surprise by winning the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama film for her role in “I’m Still Here,” a poignant work about a widow under Brazil’s military dictatorship of the 1990s. 70. She triumphed against prestigious competitors such as Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman.
The Golden Globes, after a profound reform, showed greater openness and representativeness, with members from all backgrounds, and a more diverse list of winners. Thus, comedian Sebastian Stan was voted best actor in a comedy for his role in “A Different Man”, where he plays an aspiring actor seeking to rebuild his life after cosmetic surgery.
