What To Know About 'Cuties' And #CancelNetflix

Calls to boycott Netflix Inc NFLX are coming in with the hashtag #CancelNetfix trending over the streaming giant's “Cuties” movie.

Why The Outcry? Netflix on Wednesday released “Cuties,” the debut film from French director Maïmouna Doucouré.

An earlier provocative poster to promote the movie was the target of attacks, including death threats against Doucouré

"(It) has been taken to suggest that the film celebrates children’s sexualized behavior," according to The New Yorker. "In fact, the subject of the film is exactly the opposite: it dramatizes the difficulties of growing up female in a sexualized and commercialized media culture."

Opposers of the film are quick to point out the young actors and the subject matter.

"It's excruciating to watch...children gyrate and pose as part of the dance group they call Cuties," writes USA Today's Carly Mallenbaum. "It's truly upsetting to see her wear skimpy clothes and bite her lip while staring into a phone lens. The whole movie...is very hard to get through, especially by its third act."

But, Mallenbaum notes, that's the point: "The movie confronts the horrid reality of how accessible imagery and videos can negatively impact children."

What's Next: Netflix bought the rights to the film in all territories except France at the Sundance Film Festival.

Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos called Doucouré to apologize for the image used for the poster, which she did not help select. The award-winning filmmaker says she's working on a new film for a streaming service, but wouldn’t confirm it was Netflix, showing that relationship may be tarnished.

People are sharing screenshots of their canceled Netflix accounts on Twitter. A Change.org petition to boycott the service has over 500,000 virtual signatures.

Shares of Netflix were trading down 1.4% at $493.40. The stock is up 55% in 2020.