The movie Cuties is a French film that came out August 19, 2020. Since the trailer came out, it has been very controversial to the point where past customers of Netflix have been boycotting Netflix till the film gets taken down. The movie has been known for being inappropriate towards tweens; the girls in the film are eleven and younger.

The film has also been called out for being culturally inappropriate of Muslims and misinterpreting religious practices. The director, Maimouna Doucoure, has rejected all rumors saying, “It’s because I saw so many things and so many issues around me lived by young girls, that I decided to make this film and sound an alarm and say, We need to protect our children…It’s important to see someone like you on the screen, and to grow up with a lot of possibilities.”  Doucoure also believes, “…diversity and inclusion have to be the keys to progress in our cinema.”   As for his controversial film he states, “it’s bold, its feminist, but it’s so important and necessary to create debate and try to find solutions, for me as an artist, for politicians and parents. It’s a real issue.”  The director, Maimouna Doucoure auditioned 650 minors to be the main character, Amy.

The film starts with 11 year old Amy seeing a group of girls in her grade be in a “twerking squad.” She wants to fit in, so she joins the squad. She and her friends wear inappropriate clothing for their age. Amy was raised in a Muslim household, and when her family finds out how she’s been acting she is shamed. 

Towards the end of the French film Cuties, Amy runs off from the dance routine from hearing her mother sing a lullaby in her first language.  When her family sees her in inappropriate clothing her family shames her again.  However, it is her mother who stuck up for Amy. Amy begs her mother to not attend her father’s second marriage, but it is her duties as his first wife. Once Amy’s mother leaves to head to the marriage, Amy wears her normal clothing and leaves the house.

The film revolves around social media and how important it is towards this generation to get the most amount of Internet publicity as possible. The film has been very infamous for it’s controversial topics such as being culturally inappropriate and sexualizing children.  As of September 29, 2020 it has a 1.3 reviews.