Cuties
Bac Films | Release Date (Streaming): September 9, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comMonica CastilloSep 10, 2020
The movie is so much more nuanced and bold than the first wave of outrage charged. With Cuties, Doucouré announces herself as a director with a keen visual style who’s unafraid to explore these cultural and social tensions. Read full review
90
TheWrapCarlos AguilarJan 25, 2020
Bolstered by an infectiously reckless joie de vivre and artfully handled hard-hitting truths, Cuties diffuses the impulse to dismiss it as just one more example of a trend. Read full review
80
The New YorkerRichard BrodySep 17, 2020
Doucouré pays keen attention to Amy’s quest for a self-made identity—and to a sexualized, commercialized mainstream culture that deludes children, especially those raised in cultural isolation. The film’s ultimate subject is the ghetto itself; a remarkable symbolic ending redefines French identity. Read full review
80
EmpireBeth WebbSep 11, 2020
Cuties is a thematically bold yet nuanced study of displacement and duty that deserves to be seen as an auspicious and astute debut, not the source of scandal. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangSep 8, 2020
Society’s rampant sexualization of preadolescent girls is one topic that Doucouré subjects to tough critical scrutiny; she’s made an empathetic and analytical movie, not an exploitative one. Read full review
80
Film ThreatSabina Dana PlasseJan 27, 2020
The performance of Fathia Youssouf is impressive as she transforms her diminutive, naïve self into a towering force. Read full review
75
Slant MagazinePat BrownSep 3, 2020
Maïmouna Doucouré has a remarkable grasp of the irrationality and volatility of middle-school social dynamics. Read full review
75
The PlaylistAndrew BundyJan 26, 2020
Its approach may not always work, but the film is undeniably ambitious, and implemented in an affecting way. Read full review
67
IndieWireKate ErblandJan 25, 2020
Although Doucouré steeps Cuties in emotion and experience, she abandons its grace to make crazier gestures. Read full review
60
Rolling StoneDavid FearOct 8, 2020
It’s a portrait of girls that decries how sexuality is force-fed to them and/or viewed as the only way to foster self-esteem at far too young an age. It is the polar opposite of what it’s accused of being. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawSep 15, 2020
The film and its accusers turn out to be on the same side: Mignonnes attacks the pornification of girls and young women by social media and society in general; it is about the false promise of liberation in this kind of sexualised display. The offending scenes are gruesomely unwatchable – deliberately so. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriSep 2, 2020
Cuties is not a blunt screed or a finger-wagging cautionary tale in either direction — which is one reason why anyone watching the film looking for clear messages about right and wrong is bound to be disappointed, maybe even outraged. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyJan 25, 2020
Writer-director Maïmouna Doucouré's captivating but structurally shaky first feature is stronger on setup than development or payoff, becoming less controlled as its opposing forces of tradition and rebellion collide. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreSep 14, 2020
Doucouré brings a much-needed new perspective and new voice to the cinema. But this doesn’t have the depth or grim impact of a “Kids” (1995) or “thirteen” (2003). Read full review
50
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganJan 25, 2020
A film to respect for its audacity, admire for its lead female performance perhaps, but also view as dramatically contrived. Read full review
50
VarietyAmy NicholsonJan 25, 2020
Cuties' job is to coil the contrasting messages and spin them until her lead falls down dizzy, which can make the film feel as subtle as a headache. Read full review
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