Netflix has issued an apology after a poster and description for their upcoming, award-winning film, Cuties, received outrage online.
The film, from French filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré premiered at Sundance earlier this year and won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award. It was acquired by Netflix shortly before its world premiere.
However, the general public is becoming aware of the film’s upcoming September release through a trailer, poster and description on Netflix’s site. There is a Change.org petition trying to get the movie pulled. At the time of publishing, the petition had over 40,000 signatures. The petition’s description reads, “This movie/show is disgusting as it sexualizes an ELEVEN year old for the viewing pleasure of pedophiles and also negatively influences our children! There is no need for this kind of content in that age group, especially when sex trafficking and pedophilia are so rampant! There is no excuse, this is dangerous content!”
its interesting to compare the french version of the cuties poster to the american version…
like the French version has more “kids having fun!” vibes, while the American version is just fucking…. gross.
I feel like the #Netflix marketing team has a lot to answer for. pic.twitter.com/c8QrX0EY75— kitti (meow) (@yeetdere) August 20, 2020
Addressing the backlash, Netflix said in a statement, “We’re sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for this film. This was not an accurate representation of the film so the image and description has been updated.”
Cuties is a critically-acclaimed film that has been hailed for portraying how society oversexualizes girls at such a young age and how social media plays a huge role in that. It currently has an 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Shadow and Act’s Aramide Tinubu reviewed the film, in a piece titled, “Maïmouna Doucouré’s ‘Cuties’ Confronts Betrayal Of Young Black Girls.” She wrote, “More than a commentary on the predatory behaviors of men, and the adultification of young girls, Cuties is a reminder that young minds are fragile and eager. They regularly bend and shift towards their most fleeting wishes. Yes, parents and guardians are responsible for the well-being of their offspring, but as a culture, we owe young girls, especially young girls of color, the shield and innocence of girlhood. They are also owed explanations, guidance and conversations.”
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Maïmouna Doucouré’s ‘Cuties’ Confronts Betrayal Of Young Black Girls
Photo: Netflix
