Blonde is terrible —the internet

Was the film really a fever dream, just like the overwhelmingly negative reviews say it was? (Image: Netflix/Ringer)

Andrew Domonik’s controversial new film Blonde was released on Netflix on September 28. Its streaming release came after its limited screenings in the US and premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. It received an extensive 14-minute standing ovation at the festival, which left Ana de Armas, the star of the biopic, in tears. 

Based on a novel of the same title by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde loosely recreates the life and many emotional rollercoasters experienced by Marilyn Monroe. These range from abuse by her mother to sexual assault in Hollywood. 

But in contrast to the initial praise it received during its premiere, critics and film watchers alike have expressed extreme hatred for its portrayal of Marilyn Monroe. On Letterboxd, the film has an average rating of 2.2 stars out of five. 

A popular review reads, “This is Marilyn’s personal hell: where she dies and people keep making movies, documentaries and books about the worst moments of her life over and over again for decades—and we just live in it.” 

Many other watchers online share this sentiment. It’s been called a sexist, exploitative piece of fiction that depicts Monroe as an avatar of suffering behind a glamourous facade. 

“There is something disingenuous about a film that goes to such lengths to recreate Monroe’s exterior so faithfully while tormenting her interior to no clear end,” Jessie Thompson from the Independent wrote in a review. 

Meanwhile, the author of the original novel defended the film for its “feminist screenplay.” In a tweet, Joyce Carol Oates stated that it struck her as feminist in intention and that it had the goal of telling women’s stories long-censored.

Fact or fiction

The line between fact and fiction is blurred by what seems to be such a universally hated film. When I said that it “loosely” recreates Monroe’s life, I wasn’t kidding. To begin with, the novel the film was based on is a work of biographical fiction. And portrayals of an already-fictitious character based on a cultural icon can definitely be terribly misleading, and in some cases even disrespectful.

Of course, this film is just one title from the industry’s recent obsession with biopics, maybe for the reason that they are easy sells with a fool-proof way to earn Oscar nominations. 

Either way, the very fact that filmmakers created a biopic implies that they not only know enough about the figure whose life they’re covering, but also that they can tell it with integrity—whether or not there are fictional parts. Contrary to marketing, however, Blonde is not a biopic.

One particular scene that drew controversy from the film depicted Monroe talking to an imaginary fetus after being forced into an abortion. “You won’t hurt me this time, will you?” it asks her. 

Now, this was the only scene I actually watched, and let me tell you—it was f*cking weird. I understand that this part was a product of creative freedom, but twisting the truth about Monroe’s fertility issues for dramatic effect was insensitive.

Marilyn’s legacy: reignited or ruined?

Because of her impact on American pop culture, female sexuality, and female madness, there have been various Marilyn Monroe portrayals and biopics in the media. Blonde isn’t the first, and it definitely won’t be the last.

Despite its divisive depiction of Monroe and her struggles, it warrants praise for its technique. And just like with any title or phenomenon out there, it’s still ultimately up to viewers if they’ll ride on the film’s hate train. 

It might be easy to just take all the reviews and TikTok comments’ word for it, but a narrative like Monroe’s isn’t black and white. Both the way she’s portrayed in the film and the way we talk about her—ideally—must be informed by a reverence for the woman beneath the icon.