I only know of “Cuties” because people were so up in arms about the trailer because Netflix marketed it as a ‘twerking dance movie’ that promotes the sexualisation of minors, when it is in fact a coming-of-age movie that calls out the sexualisation of minors, specifically preteen girls.
I’m not surprised with Netflix’s marketing techniques because they’re the same folk who tricked me into thinking Sierra Burgess was a lovable loser and the victim, when she was in fact a cat-fisher extraordinaire and the villain (don’t even get me started on “Tall Girl”). If it wasn’t for extraordinary reviewers out there who actually watched the movie and gave their fair opinion, I would’ve surely fallen for Netflix’s trickery yet again, and not even given this movie a second glance.
Misleading marketing aside, “Cuties” is a must-watch (albeit a tad unnerving, considering the topics it tackles which is oh-so-real and prevalent) for how it highlights the toxic influence of the media on adolescent girls who grow up craving that perfect voluptuous Kardashian booty (and other such unattainable beauty standards), as well as a taste of that insta-fame and the classist attitude brought about by it. This is best seen when the protagonist, young Amy, is berated and body-shamed by her peers who all follow the latest fashion trends and aim to be the next ‘Plastics’ (in terms of their adopted mannerisms, clothing, et. al), while Amy herself is brought up in a modest, religious-minded household.
The literal translation of the French title “Mignonnes” is “cute.” However, what is presented in the movie is far from cute. It doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that young girls are forced to grow up unexpectedly fast in order to meet society’s unrealistic standards. Not only is the modern day media held accountable for the same, but even the age-old customs.
I also remember that a lot of YouTube commentators called the trailer out for vilifying Amy’s mom. Ironically, one of the themes this movie takes on is the vilification of women in a patriarchal society, which more often than not holds women to higher standards than men; the mother herself is a victim of the same, NOT the villain as many just assume. Just like her daughter, she too struggles from the very start to meet the daily expectations and standards set by society as to what it takes to be ‘a real woman;’ standards which will obviously be passed on to Amy, who at the start is only a silent spectator to the same.
“Cuties” is an amalgamation of all these pressing issues and then some. It also features promising performances from its young cast and hopefully, the bad marketing (which is its major letdown), won’t deter viewers from watching it.
