How “Cuties” Devastates With Sincerity About Being a Girl
Fighting social norms of over-exposure and traditions
Mild spoilers
The Netflix offering Cuties, a revealing portrait of an evolving 11-year-old Senegalese girl, who lives in a low-income section of Paris with her mother, and younger brothers, has gained traction from the blessing or curse of being the subject of fiery debates, centering around its controversial angle on the classic coming-of-age treatment.
The unfounded backlash stems from the ire of conservative and far-right personalities, who most certainly wouldn’t have anything negative to share about Cuties if the film featured a white pre-teen, navigating the same tight-rope of emotions that are typically assigned to that specific stage in life, that all girls accommodate, regardless of race and creed.
I was aware of French-Senegalese director, Maïmouna Doucouré and her Sundance hit earlier in the year, way before a global pandemic became the sobering reality, and the growing interest to finally see it kept the critically-acclaimed film on my radar.
After the recent debut on Netflix, the reviews have been split between viewers who’ve actually treated themselves to Cuties with pure motives and genuine approach to an unbiased experience, and the…
