Tate Taylor’s 2011 drama “The Help” has currently become the No. 1 most-watched movie on Netflix.
This isn’t sitting well with many people, as the anti-racism protests are happening nationwide, demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other black people killed by police.
Not the Most Noteworthy Film
The critics think that there are better films to educate themselves on racism, and are urging viewers to seek out other resources.
“I’m so sorry but the last thing folx need to be watching are bootleg ‘racial reconciliation’ movies like ‘The Help’ – if you need a list of Black films, Black film critics are on here happy to suggest some really good ones. Hi, happy to help,” film and TV critic Rebecca Theodore-Vachon tweeted.
One reason for the sudden surge in the film’s popularity on Netflix could be because it is a new offering to the streaming platform this week, but to many people it doesn’t seem like it. After all more vital films on race worth streaming and that don’t rely on the “white savior” trope.
Viola Davis Regrets Being In It
Even Viola Davis, who was Oscar-nominated for Best Actress with “The Help,” has acknowledged she regrets starring in it.
“I just felt that at the end of the day that it wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard,” Davis told The New York Times in 2018.
“I know Aibileen. I know Minny. They’re my grandma. They’re my mom. And I know that if you do a movie where the whole premise is, I want to know what it feels like to work for white people and to bring up children in 1963, I want to hear how you really feel about it. I never heard that in the course of the movie.”
For her performance in the movie, Davis was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award. She also won two SAG Awards, a BET Award, and two Critics’ Choice Awards.
