Netflix’s Cuties is stirring up some ugly controversy. The streaming service has been countering claims that the French film is pedophilic in nature by arguing it’s actually “a social commentary against the sexualization of young children.” They may have to figure out a more proper legal defense, however, because Senator Ted Cruz wants the Department of Justice to investigate Cuties for child pornography. Cuties, which won a Sundance directing award for Maïmouna Doucouré, follows an 11-year-old named Amy as she joins a “twerking” dance group of young girls in Paris as she strives to find identity and acceptance. From the beginning of Netflix’s promotional rollout, the movie has drawn criticism for its overly sexualized depiction of pre-teens. Scenes show the protagonist posting pictures of...
Netflix is defending its newly released film, Cuties, against claims that it overly sexualizes its young subjects. Cuties (or Mignonnes) is a French comedy-drama that won Maïmouna Doucouré the Directing Award-Dramatic at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It centers on a 11-year-old Senegalese girl named Amy who seeks to understand her identity while living in Paris. She comes across a group of girls in a twerking dance squad, and begins to seek freedom and acceptance by joining their sexualized troupe. Since launching on Netflix on September 9th, the film has received intense backlash. Now, Netflix has issued a statement defending the movie. “Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children,” a Netflix spokesperson told Variety. “It’s an award-winning film and a pow...