Image source: Indie Wire
The fictional biopic Blonde, written and directed by Andrew Dominik, was finally released on Netflix, but the reception was anything but gold.
The film started streaming last week, and while many viewers were eager to see it, many were disappointed with the content.
Blonde
Starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, Blonde follows Joyce Carol Oates’ 2000 novel.
It is the first Netflix original production with a strong “adults-only” rating, one of the rarest ratings on the streaming platform.
The film premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in early September before being released in theaters on September 16.
Once the film returned home to stream, it was greeted with mixed reviews from critics, with viewers saying they regretted watching it and warning others to avoid the film.
Read also: Olivia Wilde puts out the fire on Harry Styles allegedly spitting on Chris Pine
Audience reaction
According to some viewers, Blonde’s handling of sexual assaults and trauma was unsuccessful.
Many took to Twitter to express their disgust, share regrets, and warn others to skip the movie.
“Shame on the producers of #Blonde how to degrade and humiliate a woman. #disgusting I’m sorry I watched it,” wrote one user.
“I watched blonde [sic] on Netflix and I have mixed feelings. Great acting but the movie in general.. terrifying,” another wrote.
“The way Marilyn was treated by men and this industry…the story they showed is HORRIBLE. it’s a horror movie. I’m traumatized and heartbroken. I didn’t like it.”
A third user agreed with the horror vibe, writing:
“Enjoyed is not the word I’d use for #BlondeNetflix it is utterly horrible. Kermode might have been right to view this one as a horror.”
“I’ve no idea about Marilyn’s life and this is based on a book of fiction, so don’t consider this a biopic,” they continued.
“Watch it and make up your own mind.”
A Twitter user tried to watch the movie but couldn’t finish it.
“Couldn’t stomach more than about 20 minutes of the nearly three hours length,” they wrote.
“That 20 minutes was nothing but cruel and heartbreaking. Absolutely unwatchable.”
Critical reception
While audience response was negative, industry reviews showed mixed, average, or below-average reviews.
IMDb has a more forgiving view of Blonde at 5.7/10.
Metacritic gives the film a 49% rating.
Meanwhile, Rotten Tomatoes has over 222 reviews, or 43%.
Read also: Disgraced artist and pedophile R. Kelly receives a guilty verdict for his despicable acts on a minor
Ana de Armas
Marilyn Monroe actress Ana de Armas previously spoke about the nude scenes she shot for the film ahead of its September 28 release.
She sat down with Variety and said it was “disgusting” that clips of her nude scenes were likely to go viral after the film’s release.
“It’s upsetting to think about it. I can’t control it; you can’t really control what they do and how they take things out of context,” said de Armas.
“I don’t think it gave me second thoughts; it just gave me a bad taste to think about the future of those clips.”
Reference:
People are regretting watching Blond and warning others to avoid it
