The Brutalist" and Emilia Perez Win Big at the Golden Globes

Two films that defied easy categorization - Brady Corbet's 215-minute postwar epic "The Brutalist" and Jacques Audiard's Spanish language, genre-shifting trans musical "Emilia Perez" - won top honors at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday.

The films were crowned best film, drama, for "The Brutalist", which also won best director for Corbet and best actor for Adrien Brody. In his acceptance speech, Corbet spoke about filmmakers needing approval on the final cut.

"I was told that this film was un-distributable," said Corbet. “No one was asking for a three-and-half-hour film about a mid-century designer in 70mm. But it works.”

“Emilia Pérez” won best film, comedy or musical, elevating the Oscar chances of Netflix’s top contender. It also won best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña, best song (“El Mal”) and best non-English language film. Audiard, the French director, made way for Karla Sofía Gascón, the film's transgender star who plays a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery, to speak on behalf of the film.

“The light always wins over darkness," said Gascón, gesturing to her brightly orange dress. “You can maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up. But you never can take away our soul or existence or identity.”

“I am who I am. Not who you want.”

Demi Moore's win for best actress in a comedy or musical was another surprise, as was Fernanda Torres' win for best actress, in a drama film.

"I’m just in shock right now. I’ve been doing this a long time, like over 45 years, and this is the first thing I’ve ever won as an actor," said Moore, who was last nominated by the Globes for a film role in 1991 for “Ghost.” “Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress.”

Sebastian Stan won best supporting actor in a musical or comedy, dedicating his award to people living with facial deformities.

“These are tough subject maters but these films are real and they're necessary,” said Stan. “But we can't be afraid and look away.”

Nikki Glaser, the host of the Globes, kicked off the event with a monologue that poked fun at the nominees.

“You could really do anything ... except tell the country who to vote for,” said Glaser. “But it’s OK, you’ll get ’em next time ... if there is one. I’m scared.”

The Globes are now owned by Todd Boehly's Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, which acquired the award show from the now defunct Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Jon M. Chu's “Wicked” won the award for cinematic and box-office achievement, with nearly $700 million in theaters.

Though few awards have been predictable this season, Kieran Culkin is emerging has the clear favorite for best supporting actor. Culkin won Sunday for his performance in Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” his second Globe in the past year following a win for the HBO series “Succession.” He called the Globes “basically the best date night that my wife and I ever have,” and then thanked her for “putting up with what you call my mania.”

The papal thriller “Conclave” took best screenplay, for Peter Straughan's script. “Flow,” the wordless Latvian animated parable about a cat in a flooded world, took best animated film.

Ali Wong won for best stand-up performance, Jodie Foster for “True Detective” and Colin Farrell for his physical transformation in “The Penguin.”

“I guess it's prosthetics from here on out," Farrell said.