The Reel Rejects - SELENA REVIEW – WE FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHY HER LEGACY IS SO MASSIVE! – FIRST TIME WATCHING

Episode Date: April 14, 2026

THIS STORY HIT HARD! Full Length Watch Alongs & Early Access:   / thereelrejects   -Gift Someone (Or Yourself) An RR Tee! https://shorturl.at/hekk2 Tara Erickson & Jon Maturan step into one of the most beloved music biopics ever made, bringing you their Selena (1997) reaction, recap, commentary, breakdown, analysis, and full movie spoiler review!! Tara Erickson & Jon Maturan react to and break down Selena (1997), the biographical drama directed by Gregory Nava that tells the story of Tejano music icon Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers, Out of Sight) delivers her breakout performance as Selena, capturing the singer’s rise from performing in her family band to becoming one of the most influential Latin artists of all time, alongside Edward James Olmos (Blade Runner, Stand and Deliver) as her driven father and manager Abraham Quintanilla, Jon Seda (Chicago P.D., The Pacific) as Chris Pérez, and Constance Marie (George Lopez, Switched at Birth) as Marcella Quintanilla. The film opens with Selena’s iconic Houston Astrodome performance before flashing back to her early beginnings, where the family faces rejection, racism, and financial struggles while trying to break into the music industry. As highlighted in the reaction, the journey from small gigs to massive crowds is both inspiring and intense, especially as Selena navigates her identity as a Mexican-American artist, balancing language, culture, and expectations while finding her voice on stage and off . As her career takes off, the story deepens with her relationship with Chris Pérez, the tension with her father’s strict control, and her growing ambition beyond music, including fashion and business ventures. The film captures Selena’s charisma, work ethic, and connection with her fans, leading to major milestones like her Grammy win and plans for an English crossover album that could have taken her to an even bigger global stage. Everything builds toward a devastating final act that completely caught the hosts off guard, as Selena’s life is tragically cut short at just 23 years old. Tara & Jon react in real time to the shocking turn, reflecting on her legacy, her impact, and the heartbreaking reality of how much more she had ahead of her Follow Jon Maturan: https://www.instagram.com/jonmaturan/?hl=en Follow Tara Erickson: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tara and I were talking earlier. Like this might be really sad because I mean, obviously we know what happens. I'm kind of concerned of that. So. Yeah. We're both a little concerned. Yeah. But we're just going to dive into it.

Holy crap. I didn't expect that. You guys. I did not know. I just know she'd die. I didn't know. I didn't know. Wow.

We just got done watching Selena. If you're listening to us on Apple or Spotify, give us a five-star rating. If you're on the YouTube, like, comment, subscribe when you do. Ring the bell. Thanks to Prepper for helping edit down these videos. And if you're not already on Patreon, that is where you can get 15% off all reject anage shop.com gear. But you can also see special stuff from Greg and John.

You get to send us questions. Anything we're watching. You just, you get cool stuff. So like get in there on Patreon. It helps keep the lights on. It helps keep us here. So we do appreciate it. So and you'll get a full week in advance of the schedule.

And you'll get that only if you're on Patreon. So you get to send us questions about what we're watching. Okay, man. All right. Well, well, well. All right. Breaker John. How are you feeling about, yeah, how you feel about the movie?

Would you like? What did you not like? I mean, I finally got to watch a movie. movie. I've heard about this movie a lot just because it's kind of, it sprung board. Jennifer Lopez's kind of career to a certain degree. But I also know of the singer, Selena. And so watching this, I kind of was expecting. I don't know how you feel about this, but like, yeah, the stereotypical biopic where it's like from beginning to end and like kind of soapy melodramatic, but like in a good way, right? I know what you mean. Yeah. And again, I'm not,

I don't want to take anything away from the project itself, but like just seeing it executed, I totally get it. I enjoyed the movie and Jennifer Lopez knocks out of the park. I was like, whoa, really, compared to the real footage, I was like, oh, wow, they really look alike. But otherwise, it was fun.

It was, it was endearing. The sopiness kind of got me out of it just because, like, I get that's what, like, a biopic's supposed to do. Yeah. What parts? A lot of... Yeah.

Like, for sake of example, like the... How easy it was. Not easy. Her and Chris and their love story. It was just like, no. And then the dad immediately, like, okay. Like, I know it's more complicated than that. And I know that we're very...

We're tight on time. Like, for the storytelling's purpose. But it didn't bother me. I'm just being nitpicky at this point. You're saying how. how quickly it went from them dating to the dad saying no right away to that kind of effect. Yeah, like I guess the speed made the melodramatic very like and soapian very much like, oh, that's intense.

Yeah. But like obviously in real life, how, how. The nuance can't be there because we don't have enough time. Exactly. Exactly. And how much they have to embellish and so on and so forth. But otherwise, I enjoyed the fact like I was really invested in in Selena herself, right? like yeah again not being the biggest fan knowing like one or two songs i'm like yeah she must have been a

sweetheart and like just a hard worker and like crazy deserving of all her success and then to end it at 23 like um but crazy journey um and mad respect to everyone all the cast and i enjoyed it like i was legitimately taking the the tropes of a biopic out of it and having that nitpicky kind of sentiment. I was like, that kind of goes out the window because it is a compelling story about this young, talented woman. Like I think of Aaliyah who died really young. I think of a lot of different musicians and artists that were gone too soon, like Kurt Cobain, like all these things. And so it's, it's tough. But yeah, it was kind of a fun watch to go through this emotional journey because it does, it does suck at the end of it all, you know? But yeah, how did you feel the movie?

Well, I want to ask you, what do you think your favorite part? was like do you have a part that kind of stood out to you that you were like that good a way right yeah um i don't know it's kind of tough because it because we were just kind of with a band with a family yeah yeah yeah i guess i i would say for me the parts that i think stood out to me is when i was really surprised at her performances and be like whoa these are her songs like i didn't no, dude. Like, I didn't know. Right, right. There's a lot of things. I didn't know that she was a designer, that she designed all of her clothes. When they do that fashion show, I was like, that stuff that was on TV, that other actors wore that type of style, but Selena designed that. Yeah. That's a big deal for a 23-year-old

to be living on a bus with her family. Not only she, a musician, she's also an artist and a designer, and she opened a boutique and she seemed very giving. Everybody gets a pedicure and then this crazy ass bitch stole from her and then shot her. Yeah. Like, I didn't know that. I thought she just died. I, like, I'm telling you guys, I was really young when Selena died. I don't know how young I was.

Probably not like, but I don't know. I literally just was like, oh, I didn't listen to her music. I wasn't like a huge fan. so then when I learned that she died I just was like oh it's a worldwide thing people are upset about it but I didn't understand it because I was like I don't listen to her music so I didn't know

about the freakiest story dude yeah yeah yeah it's all good yeah I understand I know what a twisted kind of way to go right dude like okay do you have a favorite moment that you like that you're kind of surprised by this movie that you felt like kind of got you in it sure okay so so Is this my, this might be very cliche to answer, but like, I think my favorite moment because it's so personal was when she recorded the song I recognized.

Yeah. What's that song? I like that. I could, I love you. I could be in love with yourself. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I could fall in love tonight. Something like dad.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The reason why is because something recognizable. Yeah. And be like, I think this is it. I got goosebumps. I was like, oh my gosh, and this is...

Totally. Again, my introduction to Selena was that song. And I'm to be like, oh, my God, this is how they recorded it. And this is where she was in her career right before she exploded with the crossover tour. Like, to see the all coming at that point. I could fall in love. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, there we go. Is that one, right?

Yes, yes, yes, yes. That's the one that gave me the goosebumps, mainly because, again, that ties personally, right? And again, it just shot really simply, just her. kind of doing her thing, her genius coming out, right? Totally. And then the, and then the booth being like,

magic. And I, it makes sense why it became a hit. Totally. But the journey to get there made that worth it, I think. So,

but yeah, that moment, I guess is my favorite. Like, I know you said your favorite was, um, I think it, yeah,

it was just finding out all the stuff that she was doing. Like, I was like, oh, that's her song and also that's her song. Yes, yes, I think it was just surprised. I didn't.

I really, I was like, sure, I think I know Selena enough. And I was like, I know she died. But you were like, you know what happened. I was like, no. I was like, she just dies, right? Like, I don't know. I don't know.

It had to have been, that had to have been a few. How did I not know that? That had to have been headlines where they're like, super fan kill Selena. Right? Right. Yeah. Big story. Tomali.

Yeah. That's wild. Yeah. Like gunshot? Yeah. That's not. She's in the, she's like, I'm a terrible person. I don't deserve to live.

And I'm like, now I'm just wondering, did she kill herself? Yeah, I don't know the rest of the story. Did she unalive herself? I know you two, but like, wild. Like, it's all Wackadoo Wild. And, but yeah, I really liked it. I thought J-Lo did a phenomenal performance. Yeah, right?

Yeah, I was really engaged. And the scene was great. I loved it. I mean, this was a, it was a good time until it wasn't. Yeah, yeah. At the end, which was sad. But let's get to some patron questions. Here we go.

First one's from Awesome Joe movie reviews. Jennifer Lopez was the perfect asking to play the legendary singer, not just for the great voice singing, but as well as the resemblance. Do you have a favorite actor who is perfect for playing a real character who did an amazing job like Romney Malik and Bohemian Rhapsody or Leo DiCaprio and Wolframal Street or Ben Affleck as Batman? That's hilarious. Do you have a answer for this? Because there's a later. I would, you know, you're probably like, think of something other than what I gave you.

And I'm like, I don't know if I can. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, like, Romney Malik and Bohemian Rhapsody. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So good. Like, I always tell you guys, I'm like, please give us, like, multiple choice. Because sometimes we don't know. Sure, sure.

I would have to think some more. But, yeah, do you have one? I'm trying to think of all the biopics. Yeah, that was tough. Like, there's a lot of biopics out there. The cookie. I will say this one. The cook.

cooking one on HBO. She's like the older lady that cooks and Marrill Street. Thank you. Merrill Street plays her. And I forget the day, Julia Childs. Is it Julia Child? Is it Julia Child?

Yeah. Okay, cool. I'll take your word for it. What comes to mind is, because you mentioned Ben Affleck, Ben Affleck directed a movie called Air, which is the story of when Michael Jordan signs with Nike and it's mainly a Matt Damon movie and the guy who signs him. I just like that biopic.

Again, I can't really compare it because I don't know the name of the actual guy. Yeah. Speaking of Ben Affleck, another bio, that's not a biopic, but that's a real to life story, but like, I forgot now. Never mind. It'll come back to him. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah.

And then, yeah, Wolf of Wall Street was, I mean, I know you gave that to us. Wall Street was a, it's a Martin Scorsese movie. Of course, I'm going to like that. Yeah, it's a good one. But yeah, I'd go to air for some reason. Again, it's not a biopic. It's just like this historical retelling. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, come back to me for other biopics. Oh, who played Elton John? Terran Ert-Egerton. Oh, yeah, yeah, you're right about that. Rocket Man? That's a good one. That's a good one. Yeah, yeah.

That's a good call. I like that. All right, you do the one from Nikki Sunrisea. Nikki, thank you for your question. Hey, LJ and Tara. Selena is my favorite J-Lo performance. Okay. I remember when I found out

Selena died. I was in middle school and I had just bought her English language album. Damn. I was absolutely devastated when we lost her. How much did you know about Selena before this movie?

And was there anything that surprised you about her life? Obviously, I didn't know much at all. Basically, everything I saw, I was like, what? Right, right, right. Like, I, what? Yeah.

Super fan killed her? Like, are you kidding? How did I miss that? Gnarly, gnarly. Wild. I think the one thing, I mean, I didn't know her upbringing, right? I didn't know like she was like a kind of a Michael Jackson story, right? Like there was this like on the road being a child, you know, kind of prodigy and someone so forth.

I didn't know if she married her guitarist, which is really heartwarming and it kind of makes sense. You're on the road with someone so long. Very sweet. Yeah. They get to be together. Really romantic story. Yeah. I like that too.

And I didn't know she sang the other song. That other song. The other one. Yeah. We know this one. I didn't know. I thought it was a cover. But yes.

Yeah, we didn't know. But yeah, that one song I did know of her. It's one of those, again, classic 90s ballad that I remember when I was a kid listening to the radio with my parents driving me to like, you know, school or something. And I'll be like, oh, yeah, I'm aware of this song. But to now see in context. It gives me a little more of appreciation. Yeah.

For sure. But yeah, that's, did you have, I mean, obviously you answer it by basically everything. Basically everything. First time watch. Yeah, yeah. I don't know how I miss the fact that a freaking, that they handed the business over to a super fan. I know. Yeah.

That's kind of weird. And they, like, loved each other. And then she stole from her and then shot her and killed her. That's insane, you guys. What's even more crazy is why did you? she go meet her alone? That's what I'm saying. Like where, there was no like security. Probably she just thought there's no way.

Because I mean, I trust you enough. She lied to her teeth and I really believed her and she's like, I'll prove it. And then she probably was like, meet me and I'll give you the papers. And I'm just like, oh my God, what transpired. Yeah. Like did she just go bang, bang, bang, like not even talk. Like how did it all go down? She lost it.

Wild. I was surprised by everything. Right. Yeah. Patricia Carrillo. So one of the greatest performers that was taken for the world too soon in biographical films like this, do you prefer the actors lip sing to the person's voice or when the actor sing themselves? I prefer it when they sing.

I'll ask real quick if J.Lo sang in this. What do you prefer? Yeah, I'd prefer them actually singing the song, mainly because I just, it makes the performance a little more authentic. If I know they're lip syncing, like, it takes me out of the movie. Right. I think Andre 3000 did a Jimmy Hendricks biopic. Oh my God, Lopez lip sync the whole movie. What?

This is all Selena's actual recordings. Oh, my gosh. She did really. Yeah. Songs. I actually realized that she did a very good job. Yes. And I, so I do not mind it.

Yeah, I don't mind if it's really good. Yeah. I gave J.O. a lot of credit. I was like, I think she has a way better voice than I ever thought. Right. Why has J-Lo not blown up more? Why didn't she sing more?

Sure, sure. And now it's because she did the lip-syncing. Which is, yeah. If you can hide it really well, I guess so. Yeah, she did a great job. Yeah, yeah. I'd prefer when they sing in it. Like, I was really surprised by Bohemian Rhapsody.

He sang. Rami Malik. And he does a phenomenal job. Yeah, definitely. Same with Terran Edison. Exactly. Elton John, yeah. I love that.

Yeah, I'd prefer that for sure. Yeah, it's good times. All right, you want to do Jay Russian? Jay Russian, thank you for your question. Question, what you reaction to Selena passing this way 31 years ago there from Kurt Cobain to Mozart, it seemed musicians are cursed there. Oh, you're saying like 31 years ago, like in that time, musicians seemed cursed because everyone was like dying.

Everyone's dying. I get that. Weird sentiment, but I were weird kind of coincidence, but I guess, it is tough. I don't know how to answer this question. Yeah, I mean, my reaction to her passing away is that her super fan killed? her. Yes. Like, you guys, I'm never going to get over that.

How did I miss it? I had no idea. How was I not, I was just too young. I wasn't like reading newspapers, right? Like I'm not, I wasn't in it. Nobody was coming up to me being like, you know, Selena's super van killed. Like I was a child. We're probably not talking about this.

Oh, I'm shocked by that. So that's my reaction. I mean, okay, how would you feel this is nothing to do with the question? Kind of it does with the death of her. But how would you feel like, like I guess because I enjoyed the movie. Don't get me wrong. But like something that I would want to explore.

Maybe this is tasteless. I would want to see the scene of like, hey, let's meet with no music, no score, right? And very dramatic where, because like I was invested in J-Lo's performance this whole time. I'm invested in this young woman like taking off and she's like, she's a heart of gold or whatever. And to actually see like it doesn't even have to show the like the actual murder. but like a gunshot, but like them actually meeting. I think that scene would be so heart wrenching.

Mm-hmm. Just to see it, because all we see is like her body being taking away. Correct. So it's, I guess it was effective enough, but yeah. I would imagine I'd probably be tearing up.

I'd be like, holy shit. Like so. Is that tasteless though? Like to actually see the death? No, I don't think you. I think we all have a little bit of more curiosity. There's another part that, you know,

in my head, there has to be crime scene photos. How did it go off? Like it was her body near the door, meaning she never sat down when she shot immediately. How many shots did she get? Was it to the head? I know that might seem overly so, but I just now I'm like, well, now I just, I don't know.

Like, what's the hell, man? Because the thing is, is that that crazy-ass Yolanda woman had to have, well, I don't know what I'm saying, hotel room because we saw the- in a motel parking lot. So I'm assuming they, and they're saying they met so that they were in there. That means Yolanda had to shoot her. I assume they find her in the hotel room, Selena.

And then Yolanda, what, runs out to her car and barricades herself there and is like on the phone. It's like, I'm going to shoot myself or whatever. Right. It's all crazy. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, I would have liked to probably see it too, just to. just to be like, wait, what?

Like that? That's so, wow, that's rough. That would have been curious, yeah, definitely. Yeah, but, yeah. All right. Let's do Patricia Carrillo says, this is trivia. It says a real Chris Perez, which was her husband, does the guitar riff in the character's introduction. So he actually plays the guitar.

That's crazy. That's cool. Well, her actual, not, not, oh, I think they're saying not the actor. Not the actual husband. Yeah. Oh, oh, gosh. Because when you went, he actually pays guitar, I was like, bro, did you forget about what we just like? I know, I know.

She married the guitar player. No, no, I know what you meant. You were thinking, I'm thinking that maybe the actor learned how to. Yeah. Well, now I'm like, oh, let me, let me see. That's a beautiful tribute, though, like. Did the actor who plays guitar in Selena, does he actually play guitar? Was he a real musician?

Great. Cast to AI. Let's see. Let's see. Let's see. Oh, shit. It's spelled. Okay.

Hold on. Okay. No. Oh, okay. Okay. But I mean, yeah. Yeah.

And I thought that that was probably going to be the case because she's lip-sinking. So like this guy just is going to have to. Um, he can't play at that level. He practiced for it because he would have to oh wait. Most notably the same are Chris's auditions for Selena's father.

The production used the hands of the real Chris Brow. That's what I was thinking. Okay. That's crazy. That's nuts. Like, yeah, I'm going to pay tribute to my wife and her story

and I'm going to come on set and I'm going to like you get shots of my fingers. Like that's cool. That's actually pretty cool. Yeah. That's kind of heartwarming and like, damn. That must have been hard for him. Like, we're going to talk about your wife who's past and like, yeah, part of this project.

That's intense, but also very heartwarming. Wow. That's crazy. That's a cool piece of trivia. In my brain, I wasn't thinking guitar riff on camera. I should have thought of the audition. Because you said characters introduction. I was like, oh, is it just music in the background?

I forgot. But now I'm like, oh, shit, okay. He uses actual. That's awesome. That's cool. Okay, got it. Thank you for that. Patricia, appreciate that.

You got any last words, breaker John for the peeps about this film? I want to listen to that song now. Like, I want to listen to her, some of her other stuff. That main song that I could always love you or whatever. I don't forget, Dave.

I could fall in love with you. I'm probably going to listen to that again. Just because now I'm in the mood to watch that to listen to that. But yeah. Yeah, hopefully. He's in the mood. the fall in love with Selena. Break your jaw.

She's past. I know, but you can love from the two great. Weird, weird. Yeah, yeah. We went a little bit of salt burn there, although I wasn't thinking love that way. If you've seen the movie, you know, you know we should leave and get out. No. We love you guys.

do be nice, be cool, we're kind. See you later.