I'm sure we've all heard about or watched the newest Netflix film "Cuties". Shrouded in controversy, the film follows an 11-year old Senegalese girl Amy who is trying to find balance within her culture and her desire to be "just one of the girls". After happening upon another girl in her apartment building dancing suggestively, she discovers the dance group self named The Cuties, a group of popular girls in her school determined to be the winners of a big dance contest. I won't spoil the film, so we can leave the synopsis there.

I decided to watch the film after seeing multiple articles and interviews from prominent social figures stating that the film exploits children and glorifies the idea that a female can only find her worth within the confines of being sexy. About 10 minutes into the film, I was extremely uncomfortable. There was no nudity, there were no sex scenes, but there was very suggestive film angles, dialogue, and wardrobe. At 11 years old, I was wearing swishy neon track suits, not tight leather pants and crop tops. At one point, the girls are shown to be walking up a flight of stairs, and while this is usually as innocuous event, the film makes it anything but. The shot is zoomed in onto the girls and their back sides. I found myself constantly checking around my house to see if anyone else was walking by and would happen to see what's on my screen.

The director of the film claims it is a film about pulling back the curtain on how society sexually exploits children, and that it is a monument to finding your identity and feminism. I'm not sure if the director knows the definition of feminism but I dont think this film falls under such a definition. Whether or not of the good intentions, this film hones in the aspects of pedophilia.

I am in agreeance with the vast majority of viewers who feel that the film should be pulled from Netflix. Young girls should know that their value does not lie in the perception of their sexiness, but their morals, values, and ideals.