'Cuties' on Netflix movie plot: Why has the movie become so controversial?

Recently, Netflix's official Twitter handle apologised for having portrayed a French film in a wrong light ahead of its release on the streaming platform. The OTT platform released a statement for having had changed the synopsis and the poster of the film which gave an entirely different interpretation from what the movie originally was. Netizens took to social media and pointed out how the film was ‘inappropriate’ and sexualized pre-teen girls in the movie.

'Cuties' on Netflix movie plot: What is it about?

The plot of the French film Cuties (French: Mignonnes) revolves around an 11-year-old girl who joins a “twerking dance squad”. The story shows how young kids try to imitate what they see around themselves. The film also shows how at a young age social networks become extremely important and attempt to achieve maximum ‘likes’ on social media posts.

Why is 'Cuties' so controversial?

Cuties is a French film and it premiered at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Netflix was releasing the film on September 9, but internet users deemed from the film’s trailer that it is inappropriate and one that sexualised kids and demanded Netflix to ban the film. It so happened that Netflix put up altered posters and synopsis of the film.

Over 40,000 people signed a petition in one day urging Netflix to not release the film as it sexualised kids. However, Netflix apologised for the same and changed the poster and synopsis of the film. Check out the original and changed logline.

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The original logline on Twitter read:

“Amy, 11, becomes fascinated with a twerking dance crew. Hoping to join them, she starts to explore her femininity, defying her family’s traditions.”

After netizens pointed out that it was inappropriate and should not be up on the streaming platform, Netflix changed the synopsis. It now reads:

 "Eleven-year-old Amy starts to revel against her conservative family’s traditions when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew."

Netflix tweeted an apology:

We're deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Mignonnes/Cuties. It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance. We’ve now updated the pictures and description.

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Details of 'Cuties'

Cuties is a coming of age French-language film directed by Maimouna Doucoure. It won an award at the Sundance Film Festival. The film also gained jury award for directing and was appreciated by critics for its handling of sensitive topics.

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Image: Screengrab from trailer