Those awkward preteen years are tough on kids. It’s a time filled with emotional ups and downs, thanks in no small part dto the physical and chemical changes happening inside. And that is what drives young Amy, in “Cuties,” to begin her rebellion.
As seen in the trailer for “Cuties,” Amy is an 11-year-old girl that is looking for an escape, as her family is dysfunctional and conservative. And when she notices her free-spirited neighbor, Angelica, she is introduced to a new world filled with dancing and friendship. Even though her family vehemently disapproves of her new choices.
The film stars Fathia Youssouf, Médina El Aidi, Esther Gohourou, Ilanah, Myriam Hamma, Demba Diaw, Maïmouna Gueye, and Therese M’Bissine Diop. “Cuties” is written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, making her feature debut.
We were able to see “Cuties” when it played at this year’s Sundance (where it won the 2020 Directing Award), and in our review, we said, “Its approach may not always work, but the film is undeniably ambitious and implemented in an affecting way. Parents never know what’s really going on in their children’s lives, perhaps less so today than ever before, and some of the most important conversations to be had sometimes never occur, even when all a young heart really needs is a real-life talk that might help them make sense of who they are becoming.”
“Cuties” is set to debut on Netflix on September 9.
Here’s the synopsis:
Eleven-year-old Amy lives with her mom, Mariam, and younger brother, awaiting her father to rejoin the family from Senegal. Amy is fascinated by disobedient neighbor Angelica’s free-spirited dance clique, a group that stands in sharp contrast to stoic Mariam’s deeply held traditional values. Undeterred by the girls’ initial brutal dismissal and eager to escape her family’s simmering dysfunction, Amy, through an ignited awareness of her burgeoning femininity, propels the group to enthusiastically embrace an increasingly sensual dance routine, sparking the girls’ hope to twerk their way to stardom at a local dance contest.