One of Netflix’s most controversial movies of all time is being removed this weekend
NetflixHow bad can a film about a children’s dance crew be? According to fans, Cuties is extremely controversial… and it’s leaving Netflix this weekend.
Normally, controversial movies on Netflix are about unhinged serial killers, tense family dynamics, or are so explicit that they were originally banned when first released. But what about when innocent kids are causing drama?
Since Cuties was released back in 2020, it’s been the subject of ongoing online controversy. The new movie follows a young girl who gets caught between her traditional values and her love of dance when she joins a dance crew.
Sounds innocent enough, but the French film was accused of hypersexualizing young girls after revealing their dance move of choice was twerking.
On top of this, the artwork chosen to promote the movie was also criticized, with fans posting online that they “could not support” a movie that would portray kids in this way.
“How could Netflix think this was a good idea?” one fan complained, with another agreeing, “That is extremely inappropriate. Those girls look no more than 10.”
“She ‘starts to explore her femininity’; by sexualizing herself? Hmmmm… this speaks volumes on how we view femininity,” a third weighed in.
“I think this is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen in my life,” a fourth stated.
The artwork was taken down shortly after it was released, with Netflix apologizing shortly after.
“We’re deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for ‘Mignonnes’/’Cuties,’” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to Variety at the time. “It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which premiered at Sundance. We’ve now updated the pictures and description.”
For director Maïmouna Doucouré, Cuties came from things she experienced herself.
She told Cineuropa: “The day I saw, at a neighborhood party, a group of young girls aged around 11 years old, going up on stage and dancing in a very sensual way while wearing very revealing clothes. I was rather shocked and I wondered if they were aware of the image of sexual availability that they were projecting.
“I’ve often asked myself questions about my own femininity, about evolving between two cultures, about my Senegalese culture which comes from my parents and my Western culture. But I needed the 2020 version of that youth.”
If you want to see what all the controversy is about, catch Cuties on the streaming service before it leaves on September 8.
You can find more Netflix updates for Virgin River Season 6, Stranger Things Season 5, and Heartstopper Season 3. You can also check out new movies streaming this month.