blonde ana de armas© Photo: Netflix

Netflix's Blonde: Viewers saying the same thing about new Marilyn Monroe film

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TV and film writer
September 29, 2022

Netflix's new Marilyn Monroe biopic, Blonde, has attracted much attention in the lead up to its release and now that it's finally landed on the streaming platform, viewers have had their say. 

MORE: How is Netflix's Blonde different to previous Marilyn Monroe biopics?  

The movie, which stars Ana de Armas, is based on the 2000 fiction novel by Joyce Carol Oates and is a reimagination of the Hollywood icon's life.  

WATCH: Will you be watching the film? 

Taking to Twitter, many viewers praised the excellent cinematography and Ana's astonishing performance but said the film felt "exploitative" of the blonde bombshell. 

One person wrote: "In a technical level, #Blonde is perfect. Impeccable cinematography and score. Ana de Armas gives a chilling performance. But when it comes to the script, the director tried to tell the story of an exploited movie star using - ironically - exploitation instead of compassion." 

MORE: Ana de Armas opens up about the 'exhausting' process that was playing Marilyn Monroe

MORE: Did you notice Ana de Armas' tribute to Marilyn Monroe at Venice Film Festival?

Another added: "#Blonde sure was....something. A film I do think people should watch once but I myself don't plan to revisit. Despite Ana de Armas giving a stellar performance, it felt very exploitative of Marilyn Monroe. An unfair fiction of her that was way too long." 

© Photo: Netflix

Ana de Armas stars as Marilyn Monroe

A third tweeted: "Completely torn about my thoughts on #Blonde. As a piece of daring cinema, it's astonishing, but it's also pretty morally suspect. Ana de Armas is phenomenally good, but the film casts Marilyn Monroe as a helpless victim. Which she really wasn't," while another added: "On the technical side, I thought the movie was beautifully made, but imo the story was lacking and very disturbing at times. Ana was great though, I wished it focused more on Marilyn as a person rather than the stories/rumours or the general public's perception of her #Blonde." 

Other fans defended the film and praised director Andrew Dominik. One person wrote: "Is #Blonde pleasant to watch? No. Is it very well acted and directed? Absolutely. Yes, the depiction of #MarilynMonroe is demeaning but then a lot of her life was demeaning. If you can't handle that then continue to delude yourself that her life was all glamour."

© Photo: Netflix

Viewers were left feeling torn over the new movie

A second added: "Just watched #Blonde and it was a great watch. It's always such a journey to see the lives of public figures from their lens. Pulling back the curtain."

Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates, from £9.99/$8.61, Amazon

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