Earlier this week, the hashtag #CancelNetflix started trending on social media sites as some users accused the brand-new film Cuties, routed by Maïmouna Doucouré, of sexualizing young children. Amidst the backlash, Netflix provided a statement safeguarding the film and also its “& ldquo; social commentary.
“& rdquo; & ldquo; Cuties is a social discourse versus the sexualization of little ones,” & rdquo; a Netflix spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement. “& ldquo; It & rsquo; s an award-winning movie as well as an effective tale regarding the stress young girls encounter on social media as well as from culture extra generally maturing —– and we’& rsquo;d urge anyone who respects these important issues to watch the movie.”
& rdquo; Cuties, which is ranked TV-MA on the streaming platform, follows Amy (Fathia Youssouf), an 11-year-old girl from Senegal that signs up with a dance group dubbed “& ldquo; the Cuties & rdquo; at her institution and also progressively rebels from her conventional, conservative family members.
While the coming-of-age movie, originally entitled Mignonnes, has actually been criticized, it’& rsquo; s been commended by many —– consisting of film critics –– for its handling of delicate topics. It was likewise well gotten at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the world cinema dramatic routing honor.
Last month, Netflix issued a public apology following reaction over the advertising poster developed for Cuties, with critics asserting that it sexualized children. The debatable poster included the 4 young girls in the movie dressed in disclosing dance outfits while striking symptomatic dance postures.
“& ldquo; We & rsquo; re deeply sorry for the unacceptable artwork that we utilized for Mignonnes/Cuties. It was not alright, nor was it agent of this French movie which won an honor at Sundance,” & rdquo; Netflix tweeted on Aug. 20. “& ldquo; We & rsquo; ve now upgraded the images and also description.”
& rdquo; Cuties is now streaming on Netflix.