Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix
Gregory Robinson
Blonde has finally dropped on Netflix, but some viewers have only been able to stomach 20 minutes of the 'unwatchable' Marilyn Monroe biopic.
The controversial film tells the story of the legendary Hollywood actor, who is portrayed by Ana De Armas.
The film, which is based on the bestselling 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, carries an extremely rare 'adults only' rating, the first Netflix original film to carry such a severe rating.
Watch the trailer below:
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Blonde has divided professional critics, with a great deal of disapproval regarding director Andrew Dominik’s depiction of sexual assault and trauma. It currently has a 49 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Twitter users have also roasted Blonde, with hot takes and amateur reviews calling it ‘awful’ and ‘exploitative’.
“Tried to watch @netflix Blonde,” one Twitter user commented. “Couldn’t stomach more than about 20 minutes of the nearly three hours length. That 20 minutes was nothing but cruel and heartbreaking. Absolutely unwatchable.”
“#Blonde on Netflix is tragically awful. RIP Norma Jean,” one person wrote.
A third Twitter user shared a warning about the film’s content and urged people to ‘prepare themselves before watching'.
“I'm now 20 minutes into #Blonde and even though Netflix has offered a disclaimer about sexual content it should be noted that there are scenes of child abuse, violence against women and rape. Please prepare yourselves if you watch this. I'm flinching throughout.”
Another person shared their disappointment with the film on social media. “Not even 20 minutes in, and I am thoroughly NOT enjoying the new Marilyn movie. #blonde.”
While one viewer rushed to check Twitter to see how others were reacting. “I watched the first 20 minutes of #blonde and then immediately had to check twitter to see if I was missing something or if other people were as disgusted as I am,” they wrote. “I feel vindicated.”
One person only lasted 15 minutes. “Nah…the beginning of this #Blonde movie not for the faint of heart,” they warned. “I’m about ready to turn it off in the first 15 minutes."
Amid the criticism about exploitation, Ana de Armas said she didn't feel exploited filming nude scenes for the film.
The 34-year-old told Entertainment Weekly: "It's harder for people to watch [those scenes] than for me to make them, because I understood what I was doing and I felt very protected and safe.
"I didn't feel exploited because I was in control. I made that decision. I knew what the movie I was doing. I trusted my director. I felt like I was in a safe environment.
"We had hundreds of conversations about these scenes. Everyone felt a deep respect for the movie we were making. And in that sense, I had no fear. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all, even though they were really hard scenes."
Blonde is available to watch on Netflix now.
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