Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix
Jess Battison
We all secretly love putting on a movie to have a good old cry to from our couch over a tub of ice cream.
And one that’s currently proving a smash on Netflix has viewers in total tears as they bill it the ‘saddest film’ ever.
The 2022 drama Can You See Us? recently dropped on the streaming site and users are calling it a ‘must watch’.
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And no, don’t confuse it with the Netflix miniseries, When They See Us.
From Zambian director Kenny Mumba, the 15-rated movie is written by Andrew and Lawrence Thompson.
It follows a young Zambian boy with albinism who was rejected by his father at birth.
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Played by Thabo Kaamba as a child and George Sikazwe as a young man, he navigates a childhood of ‘bullying, tragedy and cautious hope’.
According to on-screen text at the beginning of the movie, Can You See Us? is inspired by the true story of John Chiti.
Chiti is a popular Zambian singer with albinism and he reportedly served as an ‘additional writer’ on the script.
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In a 2020 interview, he opened up about his own experiences of rejection to Thomas Reuters Foundation.
He said: “When I was born my family was confused. They couldn’t believe that I belonged and this led to the divorce of my parents.”
In 2008, Chiti founded the Albino Foundation of Zambia.
“I used to blame myself for being a person with albinism. I grew up with low self-esteem because I thought I’m not human enough,” he added. “But it’s not us that have to change, it’s society that needs to change its attitudes towards us.”
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According to Netflix, Can You See Us? is ‘bittersweet, dark and emotional’.
And it’s certainly got viewers in their feels.
One wrote on Netflix: “Haven't cried this much in a while, this was an amazing movie.”
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Others said it had them ‘tearing up’ while others ‘cried from the beginning to the end’.
Another quipped: “The saddest film, but a real eye opener too, it’s horrific that an innocent child can endure so much hatred. Broke my heart.”
One added: “Will melt your heart this lil boy will. Beautiful movie.”
Plenty of viewers warned it is ‘heart breaking’ and advised to ‘make sure you have tissues’ before you sit down to watch.
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With another commenting: “Tugged all my heart strings.”
Can You See Us? is currently streaming on Netflix.