‘Blonde’ viewers describe the Marilyn Monroe drama as “unwatchable”

Following the much-anticipated release of Netflix’s Marilyn Monroe drama Blonde, viewers have been complaining that the film is “unwatchable.”

A number of viewers took to social media to reveal they had to turn off the film after not being able to make it through more than 20 minutes. The flick is based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, and stars Ana de Armas as Monroe. It has divided critics, with particular scrutiny being levelled at the film’s depiction of trauma and assault.

“While the film is beautifully shot (most of the time) and Ana de Armas gives a luminous performance, it falls apart fast… and that last hour… Jesus Christ, fucking unwatchable. An absolute head-scratcher of a movie [sic],” one person wrote.

“I just started to watch Blonde and I’ve turned it off after 20 minutes, enough said,” added another.

“Graphically showing rape on screen is not in any way a meaningful way to portray the horrors of sexual assault. Please, I’m begging you leave this woman alone and quit slapping SA survivors and women in the face,” wrote a third.

Although Blonde has received mixed reviews since its release, one aspect of the film that has shone in the eyes of critics is de Armas’ performance as Monroe. “de Armas captures the tension between Monroe’s flawless surface and fragmenting inner self with extraordinary psychological precision and real depth of feeling,” wrote The Telegraph.

The Guardian described it as a “Showstopping central performance by Cuban-Spanish actor Ana de Armas, who eerily incarnates the legendary star with a weird little hint of Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby.”