SCENES
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Scene Map 60
# PG SLUGLINE
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INT EXT INT/EXT hover for full slug
Scene Map
60
# PG SLUGLINE
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EXT. MEXICO CITY - NIGHT Top shot and perpendicular zoom: Mexico City. Lights shimmer like stars, building facades lit up like video games, etc. In the far distance, a peddler’s saturated chant: “Se compran colchones.”
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INT. 7-ELEVEN MARKET - EVENING A mixed noise of radio and television broadcasting video surveillance images. RITA MORA CASTRO is 27. Wearing braided stretch pants, a shapeless jacket, and gold loafers, she does not look like much.
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EXT. STREET IN CHAPULTEPEC - NIGHT Rita walks out into the empty street. She walks for a moment, lost in thought. RITA Ir hacia arriba, ir hacia abajo.
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EXT. STREET IN CHAPULTEPEC - NIGHT Insert: images of the MENDOZAS (both in their 50s). Husband elegant and fit. Wife, same age, overly coiffed and made up. Rita walks through the crowded market. Young women accompany
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EXT/INT. COURTHOUSE We follow two chairs being carried by two hands. We enter what seems to be another place: noise, reverberating echoes... A loud amplified voice:
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INT. COURTHOUSE - NIGHT In the foreground, Rita's face on the phone, behind Mendoza and Berlinger in the spotlight of the TV cameras. RITA ... ¿Bueno, mamá? Ganamos. Sí,
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INT. WOMEN’S RESTROOM COURTHOUSE - DAY We hear bathroom noises. Toilets flushing, faucets, blowers, etc. Blood on her hands. Her phone vibrates. She wipes her hand on toilet paper and grabs her phone with two fingers so it won't
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INT. COURTHOUSE - NIGHT She is back in the corridor. A WOMAN Ahí ya está cerrado, hay que pasar por la sala.
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EXT. NEWSSTAND - NIGHT The newsstand shines like a box of light in the night. It is plastered with tabloid covers. An assassin’s face on one of them has been pixelated. She continues to sing, increasingly convinced.
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EXT. CHIHUAHUA DESERT - NIGHT 1M3 SUV Instrumental Top shot: an SUV zooms through the desert. The headlights project two beams onto the sand. A trail of dust lingers behind. On the radio, the guttural
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EXT/INT. MANITAS’ TRAILER - NIGHT ... a few metal steps… knocks on a door... the door opening... SICARIO 2 (OFF) Rosario los vió, están a 30
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INT. BERLINGER’S OFFICES - NIGHT Rita sits behind a pile of files in Berlinger’s offices. Her glass cubicle is in the back of the landscaped space. She seems to be at work like everyone else. MANITAS (O.S.)
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EXT/INT. CLINICS Start music 1M8 VAGINOPLASTY Duo Rita / various surgeons. Everything is white. A bright white carpet leads from the jetliner to a clinic where the Asian surgeon and his staff - earlier seen on Rita’s
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EXT. BEN GURION AIRPORT, TEL AVIV – DAY An El-Al 787 lands at Ben Gurion International Airport. Title card: TEL AVIV EXT. AVENUE, TEL AVIV - DAY
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INT. LEVITCH MEDICAL CENTER, WASSERMAN’S OFFICE - DAY Rita sits back down in front of the stunned doctor. WASSERMAN Can… Can I at least talk to him? RITA
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EXT. MANITAS’ COMPOUND - NIGHT Five cars are parked in a circle around Manitas’ compound. A cloud of dust, the doors open… the hoods are pulled off… .../... A finger presses a button, turning on the generator.
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EXT. MANITAS’ COMPOUND - NIGHT - A guy fiddles with a record player. Throbbing music. - Tilted down: infared images of the camp and the landscape. These are the images of a drone remote control. The pilot with other armed guards are set up on a height overlooking
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EXT. COMPOUND - NIGHT Silence. We are still on Rita, who is watching. In front of her: men and women dance around a campfire. Sicarios, wives of sicarios, children of sicarios. The music has changed but not the source. Normal volume.
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EXT. COMPOUND - NIGHT Smoke rises from the dead fire. The party is over. Sicarios sleep off their mezcal in their pickup trucks. EXT. CAMPEMENT - NIGHT With a blanket draped over her shoulders, Rita smokes a
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INT. MANITAS’ TRAILER Out the windows, on CCTV screens, the desert landscape speeds by: the convoy, the cabs’ interiors, the drivers… Rita sits across from Manitas. Rita is sitting in front of Manitas. She hands him three
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EXT. LAUSANNE VILLA The moon hangs over the Alps and Lake Geneva like a steel mirror. Title card: “SWITZERLAND”
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INT. TAXI - DAY Shadows play on Rita’s face. She is in a sedan on the way to the airport. RITA Listo, están a salvo.
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EXT. TEL AVIV - DAY The sun rises over Tel Aviv. Start 2M15 Tel Aviv INT. ROOM HICHILOV HOSPITAL - DAY End of 2M15 Tel Aviv
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INT. ROOM HICHILOV HOSPITAL - DAY Still in the room. On the TV screen: a telenovela dubbed into Hebrew. Sitting on the edge of her bed in her panties, Emilia tries on bras. Her head is covered in bandages, her body in traces of her
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INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT WOMAN (O.S.) You’re not English, are you? Rita looks at her. She looks forty-five, friendly and dresses with taste. We suppose that it is Emilia. We recognize her.
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INT. LAUSANNE VILLA - DAY Lake Geneva. Behind it, the Alps. JESSI (OFF) ¿México? ¿pero porqué regresaría yo? A ver dime ¿quién se preocupó
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EXT. MEXICO CITY - DAY An aerial pan shot of the Mexico City conurbation: its endless sprawl, pollution, noise… We hear the “Se compran” mantra from afar. Title card:
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INT. VILLA - NIGHT Rita in the entrance puts on her coat. EMILIA (en voz baja) ¿Cómo la ves? (quietly) How do you see her?
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EXT. EMILIA’S VILLA - DAY The sun has risen. The weather is fine. Hoses chug-a-lug, watering the grounds. EXT. EMILIA’S VILLA - DAY Three maids in uniforms prepare another breakfast while
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INT. VILLA JESSI’S ROOM - DAY In CU in the dark: a goose feather from the duvet quivers in time with sleeping Jessi’s breathing. Knocks at the door. It opens. The maid places the tray on a table and goes to draw the curtains.
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EXT. STREET - DAY A busy street. A market. The same taqueria as earlier. Rita speaks with the owner and her daughter. They recognize each other. The atmosphere is friendly. The owner calls the surrounding shop owners to come say hello to Rita. Emilia
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INT. EMILIA’S VILLA - NIGHT Emilia is home late. Exhausted. She drops the photo of the young desaparecido on a table and goes to the stairs. We linger on the photo.
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EXT. CENTRAL PRISON - DAY The camera sweeps over an inscription on a wall, or the letters scroll by: P-R-I-S-O-N A man in clerical garb watches the car arrive. He waves. Emilia’s car parks alongside him.
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EXT. PRISON, PARKING LOT - DAY The priest leaves the prison and heads for the waiting limousine. When he gets in the back seat, the driver steps out to leave them alone. We see them speak through the window.
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EXT. STREET - DAY Behind them, reporters, sound engineers and cameras. REPORTER 1 ¿Por qué La Lucecita? Why the Lucecita?
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INT. LUCECITA HEADQUARTERS - DAY They are now in an empty building. RITA ¡Ahí está, ya empezó el desmadre… para qué te hago caso!
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INT. LUCECITA HEADQUARTERS - DAY Start 3M23, PARA, male/female chorus In a lateral tracking shot: women of every age, some with children in their arms. They are sitting in what looks like a waiting room.
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EXT. EMILIA’S VILLA - NIGHT The lights of Mexico City, then Emilia’s villa. Through the bay windows, we see Emilia’s silhouette dancing alone. EXT. VILLA EMILIA - NUIT Headlights at the gate. A car door opens. Jessi steps out.
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INT. FUNDRAISER GALA - NIGHT A crowd has gathered around the red carpet and the paparazzi. Journalists brandish recorders. REPORTER ¿Qué espera de esta velada?
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INT. FUNDRAISING GALA - NIGHT Emilia asks for silence and begins her speech. EMILIA Estimados ministros, estimados diputados, estimados representantes
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INT. LA LUCECITA BUILDING - DAY Morning. Emilia arrives at her office floor. She responds distractedly to the greetings of those she runs into. INT. LA LUCECITA TOILETS - DAY A beautiful woman in her forties, simply but tastefully dressed.
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INT. LA LUCECITA CORRIDORS - DAY Emilia and Epifanía silently walk up a hallway. They part on the stairs. EMILIA Hasta luego.
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INT. EPIFANÍA’S HOUSE - DAY Early morning. Emilia is dressed. She finishes making coffee in the kitchen-living room-bathroom in Epifanía’s tiny house. She looks at the walls with their peeling blue paint and religious imagery. StrÁNGELy ordered disorder, it is a cozy
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INT. EPIFANÍA’S HOUSE - DAY Emilia begins to sing. Epifanía does not seem to see her although they are in the same frame. She begins her day: washing up, dressing, housekeeping. All her gestures are weighed down by love.
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INT. LA LUCECITA OFFICES - DAY The two women are in Emilia’s office. Emilia looks out the window. La Lucecita is in full swing. Hustle and bustle in the corridors. Women in waiting rooms. ÁNGEL and Diego are having snacks in the cafeteria, etc... Emilia surprises Rita
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INT. NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT Dark atmosphere, other music, another ambience. Six men turn towards us, undressing us with their eyes. Rita bellies up to the bar, next to a hot guy. She orders a drink. When it arrives, she feels the guy’s hand run over her
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INT. EMILIA’S VILLA - DAY Emilia finishes having breakfast with the children, who are playing Fortnite. A cheerful atmosphere. Emilia looks fulfilled. Out the window, she suddenly sees a silhouette in the garden: Jessi coming home from an interminable night out.
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INT. VILLA JESSI’S BEDROOM - DAY The room is dark. We hear Jessi through the bathroom door. Jessi comes out in her bathrobe, drying her hair. She does not notice Emilia watching her from the shadows. A beat:
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EXT. STREET - NIGHT Two guys are beating up a third, who slips under a car to escape the beatings. The camera passes under the car: we recognize Gustavo Brun. Once he stops moving, one of his assailants slips a fat wad of
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EXT/INT. EMILIA’S CAR - DAY Emilia sitting in the back of her limousine. Her head churns with ideas, like black clouds. She looks focused on the electric wires that appear and disappear as they should. And then, as if it were obvious:
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INT. LUCECITA OFFICES - EVENING Epifanía has joined Rita, who is on the phone. RITA Soy yo, márcame cuando oigas el mensaje. (tapa el auricular) ¿Le
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EXT. MEXICO CITY STREETS - DAY Feet in sandals pressing pedals. The pedals spin. The bike zigzags through traffic. A package on a string swings left and right, depending on the bike’s tilt.
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INT. RITA’S OFFICE - DAY Shut up in her office, Rita slowly unwraps the package. The newspaper is soaked in blood. Inside: 5 fingers with Emilia Pérez’s nail polish. She retches. Vomits into a trash bin.
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INT. LUCECITA - NIGHT Start 5M29b BEATIFICATION/DESEO 2 (At first just the music) The building looks empty. Only one office on the second floor is lit.
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EXT. LANDSCAPE - NIGHT The face of La Ponchis appears in the frame. Followed by her men, she slides behind the white rocks of the quarry. She signals them to stop: a hundred meters below, Rita's pickup arrives on the road to the cabin.
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EXT. LANDSCAPE - NIGHT Two shots are fired. Rita throws herself to the ground. The headlights are off. Rita sees La Ponchis, who addresses a series of strategic signs, mysterious but reassuring. Rita pretends to understand.
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INT. HACIENDA, KITCHEN - NIGHT A tongue of smoke slides on the ground, passes between the feet of the men, on the shells which roll... crosses the room... finds Jessi and Emilia lying on the ground... and slips into the mouth of Emilia, who opens her eyes.
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INT/EXT. GUSTAVO’S CABIN - NIGHT ...Emilia is dragged in the trunk of the car of Gustavo. When the trunk of the car is going to be closed on her, Emilia's eyes meet Jessi's. EMILIA
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INT. EMILIA’S HOUSE - DAY Start 5M30 Las Damas A window framed from the outside, it's an empty frame. Then a voice: HOUSEMAID (OFF)
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EXT. MEXICO CITY SUBURBS - DAY Epifanía in mourning walks and sings. EPIFANÍA A quien hizó el milagro De cambiar el plomo en oro
INT EXT INT/EXT tap to expand

Emilia Perez

After a tragic incident, a transgendered woman in Mexico City must confront her past and navigate the complex web of corruption and violence that threatens to consume her newfound identity. Other loglines ›

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Overview

Poster
Unique Selling Point

What sets 'Emilia Perez' apart is its blend of legal drama with a deep exploration of personal identity and societal issues, particularly in the context of violence in Mexico. The screenplay's unique perspective on the lives of women affected by crime and their resilience makes it compelling for audiences interested in character-driven stories that reflect real-world issues.

AI Verdict

How to read these: in industry coverage, Pass is the default outcome for the majority of professional scripts, and Consider means the reader stayed in the room. Industry-wide, the median professional evaluation sits at a 6 — scores of 8+ are rare everywhere, on purpose.

Synthesis Where readers agree and split
7.1

A prestige musical-crime hybrid with a singular, championable voice that requires structural calibration of its midsection causal chain and third-act escalation before it can be championed.

Readers read as Elevated commercial1 Specialty1 Prestige3 majority
Genres Crime5 Drama5 Musical5

A prestige musical-crime hybrid aiming for cumulative emotional and thematic pressure through a trans protagonist's transformation, using musical numbers as interiority and genre-mixing as a formal gambit.

Readers split on the contract: three read this as prestige, one as specialty, and one as elevated commercial. The split traces to tonal register in the back half — the prestige and specialty reads see deliberate operatic restraint, while the elevated commercial read sees a need for tighter thriller mechanics.

Why not lower

The script's formal ambition, distinctive musical grammar, and sustained tonal identity give it enough championable material to avoid a Pass despite pacing and structural strain.

Why not higher

The causal gaps between parallel storylines and the compressed mechanics of the final act keep the emotional payoff from feeling fully earned, preventing the script from reaching the top band.

Rewrite map

A script with a distinctive musical-crime voice and a formally ambitious chorus structure that needs structural work on midsection causal pressure and third-act escalation.

Readers read as Elevated commercial1 Specialty1 Prestige3 majority

Start here

Clarifying Emilia's post-transition governing desire and threading the Lucecita and family tracks through a single escalating pressure point will restore sequence-to-sequence traction, which in turn makes the third-act escalation feel earned rather than mechanically compressed.

What's working 1
La Lucecita's thematic irony

The pivot from cartel violence to humanitarian work using the same logistical networks creates a profound, ironic meditation on redemption that elevates the story beyond a personal arc.

Protect while fixing 2
Musical numbers as subjective interiority

Tightening transitions or demanding causal turns from every song risks flattening the numbers into plot mechanics or cutting them for pace.

Keep the songs as subjective emotional expression; when tightening transitions, ensure the song's emotional register feeds the next scene's action without reducing the number to a plot device.

Rita's pragmatic voice as narrative anchor

Merging tracks or clarifying Emilia's desire could reduce Rita to a plot facilitator or sideline her arc in favor of the family drama.

Maintain Rita's skeptical, grounded perspective and her own desire for agency as a counterweight to Emilia's operatic transformation, especially in Act 3.

Fix first 3
Second-act causal pressure diffuses across competing tracks

The reader loses forward pull as the narrative splits between NGO work, family drama, and romantic rebellion without a single governing question to track.

Root cause

The script introduces parallel storylines after the midpoint without a causal bridge or a re-clarified protagonist desire to organize them, making the middle act read as episodic accumulation rather than pressured pursuit.

One direction

Thread the Lucecita and family tracks through a single escalating pressure point, or clarify Emilia's post-transition governing objective so each sequence advances a unified pursuit.

Third-act escalation compresses character logic into plot mechanics

The reader experiences the climax as a sudden mechanical pivot rather than an inevitable emotional consequence, which weakens the payoff of the preceding transformation.

Root cause

The kidnapping and final confrontation arrive rapidly without sufficient prior setup or character processing time, forcing the script to rely on heightened operatic mode to cover gaps in causal logic.

One direction

Seed the external threat and Jessi's betrayal earlier in the second act, and carve out a beat of stillness or consequence before the final crash to let the emotional weight land.

Musical numbers stall momentum when they restate rather than turn Medium confidence

The reader feels time passing without new consequence arriving as songs repeat emotional states already established in the preceding dialogue or action.

Root cause

Several musical numbers function as emotional amplifiers rather than causal engines, placing them after the character has already revealed the same information through action or speech.

One direction

Require each number to introduce a new decision, revelation, or obstacle, or condense the spoken exposition it duplicates so the song carries the state change once.

Your decisions 1
Musical function: emotional amplifier vs. causal engine Consequential
Side A

Committing to the musical numbers as causal engines means trimming or rewriting songs that restate established information so each number turns the plot.

Side B

Committing to the musical numbers as emotional interiority means preserving their free-associative, non-plot-driven quality and trusting the operatic register to carry thematic weight.

Ask AI about this read
Would readers champion it · Rewrite depth · Voice · Score stability
What's working All 5 readers agree

The musical numbers functioning as character interiority are the script's most distinctive and championable asset, providing emotional access that dialogue cannot and giving the film a singular identity.

What's blocking All 5 readers agree

The diffusion of causal pressure across competing tracks in the second act prevents the script from accumulating the momentum needed to make its climax feel inevitable.

Would readers champion it?
Not yetNot yetReaders wouldn’t actively push for it.
Early interestEarly interestMentioned, but no real push behind it.
ModeratelyModeratelyMentioned favorably to the right buyer.
StronglyStronglyActively championed across their network.
ClaudeModeratelyDeepSeekModeratelyGPT5ModeratelyGrokModeratelyGeminiStrongly
How much rewrite does it need?
Start from scratchStart from scratchPremise or core engine isn’t working. Page-one rebuild.
Structural rewriteStructural rewriteSpecific acts or zones need rebuilding — not starting over, but significant revision work on those sections.
Targeted rewriteTargeted rewriteSpecific scenes or threads need rework. ~1 month.
Just polishJust polishLines and pacing tweaks. A few weeks.
ClaudeStructural rewriteDeepSeekStructural rewriteGPT5Structural rewriteGrokStructural rewriteGeminiTargeted rewrite
How distinctive is the voice?
GenericGenericReads like other scripts in the genre.
EmergingEmergingHints of a distinctive voice, not yet locked in.
DistinctiveDistinctiveA clear, recognizable authorial voice.
One-of-a-kindOne-of-a-kindA voice that couldn’t be anyone else’s.
ClaudeDistinctiveDeepSeekDistinctiveGrokDistinctiveGPT5One-of-a-kindGeminiOne-of-a-kind

On the score: The score sits at the high edge of its band — a focused revision could push it to the next verdict.

Story Facts
Genres:
Drama 60% Crime 40% Thriller 30% Action 15% Romance 10%

Setting: Contemporary, Mexico City and various locations in Mexico, including a villa in Lausanne, Switzerland, and a clinic in Bangkok

Themes: Corruption and the Cycle of Violence, Justice and Redemption, Identity and Transformation, Love and Loss, Female Agency and Resistance

Conflict & Stakes: The primary conflicts revolve around Rita's fight for justice for her clients, Emilia's struggle with her past and her desire to help the missing, and Jessi's internal conflict regarding her family's legacy and her new life. The stakes include personal safety, emotional well-being, and the quest for redemption.

Mood: Tense and reflective, with moments of dark humor and emotional depth.

Standout Features:

  • Unique Hook: The intertwining stories of a lawyer, a cartel leader, and a widow navigating their complex lives against the backdrop of violence and justice.
  • Plot Twist: The revelation of Emilia's past and her connection to the cartel, which complicates her relationship with Rita and Jessi.
  • Distinctive Setting: The contrasting environments of Mexico City, a luxurious villa in Switzerland, and a clinic in Bangkok highlight the characters' journeys.
  • Innovative Ideas: The exploration of identity and transformation through the lens of personal and societal struggles.
  • Genre Blends: A mix of legal drama, thriller, and social commentary that appeals to a diverse audience.

Comparable Scripts: The Night Of, Roma, The Handmaid's Tale, The Godfather, The Kite Runner, Narcos, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Invisible Man, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Script Level Analysis

Writer Exec

This section delivers a top-level assessment of the screenplay’s strengths and weaknesses — covering overall quality (P/C/R/HR), character development, emotional impact, thematic depth, narrative inconsistencies, and the story’s core philosophical conflict. It helps identify what’s resonating, what needs refinement, and how the script aligns with professional standards.

Screenplay Insights

Breaks down your script along various categories.

Overall Score: 7.91
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Story Critique
Big-picture feedback on the story’s clarity, stakes, cohesion, and engagement.
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Characters
Explores the depth, clarity, and arc of the main and supporting characters.
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Emotional Analysis

Breaks down the emotional journey of the audience across the script.

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Goals and Philosophical Conflict
Evaluates character motivations, obstacles, and sources of tension throughout the plot.
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Themes
Analysis of the themes of the screenplay and how well they’re expressed.
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Logic & Inconsistencies
Highlights any contradictions, plot holes, or logic gaps that may confuse viewers.
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Scene Analysis

All of your scenes analyzed individually and compared, so you can zero in on what to improve.

Scene-Level Percentile Chart
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Other Analyses

Writer Exec

This section looks at the extra spark — your story’s voice, style, world, and the moments that really stick. These insights might not change the bones of the script, but they can make it more original, more immersive, and way more memorable. It’s where things get fun, weird, and wonderfully you.

Unique Voice
Assesses the distinctiveness and personality of the writer's voice.
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Writer's Craft
Analyzes the writing to help the writer be aware of their skill and improve.
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Memorable Lines
Spotlights standout dialogue lines with emotional or thematic power.
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Tropes
Highlights common or genre-specific tropes found in the script.
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World Building
Evaluates the depth, consistency, and immersion of the story's world.
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Correlations
Identifies patterns in scene scores.
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Loglines
Presents logline variations based on theme, genre, and hook.
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Script•o•Scope