With some movies, you’re either in or you’re out. Emilia Pérez is definitely one of those movies.

The feature from French auteur director Jacques Audiard describes itself as “an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations”. And all things considered, that’s a pretty accurate assessment. After all, how many crime thriller musical melodramas can you name?

Emilia Pérez begins by introducing us to Rita (Zoe Saldaña), a lawyer in Mexico stuck in a dead-end job. Worn down by finding herself trapped in a corrupt system — she’s tasked with getting a man free of a murder charge by claiming his wife actually committed suicide — and constantly having her own hard work co-opted by her male colleague, Rita’s looking for a way out.

That way out comes from the most unexpected of places when Rita finds herself picked up by a fearsome cartel and brought to their leader, Manitas (Karla Sofía Gascón). Of all the things a notoriously dangerous drug kingpin might request of a lawyer, Rita can’t anticipate what Manitas truly desires: to finally embrace life as a woman. Rita is tasked with sorting out the logistics of Manitas’ transition. In exchange, Manitas promises Rita a fortune of her own — enough to transform her life, too.

Ultimately, Rita accepts. She finds a surgeon, oversees the movement of Manitas’ wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and their two sons to a safehouse in Switzerland, and then disappears to remake her own life. But a few years later, she’s found by Emilia Pérez, who needs her help yet again: Emilia wants her kids back. Rita convinces Jessi to bring the boys back to Mexico to stay with “Aunt Emilia”. There, all three women attempt to navigate their new reality and forge a path ahead, while brushing up against the challenges of their pasts.

As I said before, with Emilia Pérez, you’re probably in or out fairly early on. Audiard’s feature undoubtedly takes wild swings. Sometimes, the tonal shifts come across as too glaring; one bright and pop-y musical number about surgical procedures, for instance, plays too garish and farcical for much of the film’s more serious elements.

Still, the stranger and more unexpected elements do mostly come together here. The drama plays out seriously — if at times sort of soapy and reminiscent of a telenovela — but largely, Emilia Pérez does a great job of grounding everything in the emotions of its characters. It’s easy to connect with Emilia’s friendship with Rita, her love for her children, her past with Jessi. The performances in this film are top-notch; both Saldaña and Gascón do an incredible job.

Similarly, the feature’s musical numbers largely work within the emotion of the story, giving us insight into the characters and helping build our connection to them. There’s a nice variety in musical styles here too, from soft ballads and rhythmic spoken word to flashier pop numbers and spiky, anger-infused tracks. It’s another way Emilia Pérez keeps you on your toes.

Outside of whether or not you’re on board for Emilia Pérez’s unusual ride, there’s valid criticism to be had about the nature of the story. Though centered around Emilia and her transition, the film doesn’t do much to explore the experience of being a trans woman. We literally skip over years of Emilia’s life post-transition, and besides trying to hide her past as Manitas, we don’t really see how being transgender impacts her life. It feels like the film wants this to play a central role in the story, but doesn’t bother (or doesn’t know how) to commit. Similar criticism can probably apply for the film’s perspective on Mexico and cartels — it can feel more like set dressing than anything else. (Of course, American media likes to just slap a sepia filter on things and call it Mexico, so… glass houses, stones, et cetera.)

Emilia Pérez may be divorced from a certain level of authenticity, but at the end of the day, it’s just not that kind of movie. It’s a spectacle and a ride, one with its own ups and downs. But ultimately, I spent my time watching feeling entertained and wanting to know what would happen to these characters. What can I say? No other movie has given me Zoe Saldaña rapping about inequality and corruption over rock music while dancing on tables at a formal dinner gala. I can’t help but celebrate that.

Emilia Pérez is now streaming on Netflix.