

The poster had a much different tone than the poster for its theatrical run in France and it garnered widespread criticism. It’s a reemergence of the original critiques of the film from last month after Netflix, which did not make Cuties but purchased the global rights to it (outside of France) ahead of its Sundance premiere in January, released a poster with the four girls twerking in their competition outfits. The call to cancel Netflix over Cuties isn’t new. Even Amy, who can’t finish the routine, is visibly upset by it she leaves her friends on the stage in tears and runs home. Soon after the viral clip cuts off, there’s a shot in the crowd of a mother trying to shield her daughter from seeing what’s happening onstage. There are flashes of horror and disgust on the faces of much of the crowd watching the Cuties perform, but that clip isn’t the entire scene.

(It’s similar to Olive’s dance scene in Little Miss Sunshine, and in that case, the judges and audience are also uncomfortable with Olive’s performance.) The 100-second clip that went viral shows the audience-mainly composed of adults-visibly uncomfortable watching a group of 11-year-olds dance like they’re in a music video and there are audible boos. The dance routine is uncomfortable to watch, but within the context of the film, that’s the entire point of it. UlqEmXALmd- Mary Margaret Olohan September 10, 2020 A Parents Guide to Cuties on IMDb (which anyone with an account can add suggestions to) also went viral. It also went viral after a Daily Caller reporter shared it with the comment “Netflix is comfortable with this.” The hashtag #CancelNetflix is now trending as people cite the film as to why they’re canceling their Netflix accounts. The original clip, which is part of a thread that accuses Netflix of “normalizing pedophilia” and includes several clips from the film, has been viewed more than 1 million times. They’re dressed in the kinds of clothes that wouldn’t be out-of-place in a music video as they perform the routine, which includes dance moves they learned from watching videos on YouTube. The clip, which takes place toward the end of the film, shows the four girls who make up the “Cuties” (including Amy, the film’s protagonist) performing in the dance competition they spent much of the film preparing for. And while people now have the chance to watch the film for themselves, the controversy that emerged from Netflix’s marketing has resurfaced with an out-of-context clip and calls to cancel Netflix. Cuties, the French film from director Maïmouna Doucouré that garnered critical acclaim and an award at Sundance but has been at the center of controversy over the past few weeks, is now on Netflix.
