Netflix Releases ‘Sierra Burgess Is A Loser’
Netflix released its newest original, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, on September 7th.
While the film fits the teen-romance genre, it’s not just about a girl falling in love with a boy, but about a girl falling in love with herself.
The story follows teenage Sierra Burgess (Shannon Purser), a witty, intelligent high school senior on the prowl for Stanford admission. Despite being constantly heckled for her appearance by class mean girl, Veronica (Kristine Forseth), Sierra is completely unbothered by her looks.
That is, until she receives a text message from Jamey (Noah Centineo), after Veronica teasingly gives him Sierra’s number in place of hers. As their on-screen bond grows stronger, Sierra suddenly becomes very self-conscious that she does not live up to the thin, blonde Veronica that Jamey thinks she is.
The film provides a feel-good, modern love story, but more importantly, emphasizes a message that every girl in high school should hear: you are beautiful inside and out, no matter what you look like. Sierra’s struggles with her appearances accurately portrays the pressures to look perfect that every teenage girl faces. The story additionally highlights the strong presence and impact and social media in lives of students, and how that presence can increase those same pressures.
“It’s a shame that we have so many stories in which fat people don’t really have agency and the ability to live full happy lives while they’re fat. And that’s what I want to change.” https://t.co/DIoX3kmmKl
— Teen Vogue (@TeenVogue) September 10, 2018
While many loved the film, it was not without criticism.
.@Netflix’s ‘Sierra Burgess Is a Loser’ faces scathing reviews and backlash for creepy premise, overall message, normalizing violation of consent, and problematic jokes used in the film. pic.twitter.com/qpVPKYK2PR
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 9, 2018
Why NETFLIX’ “Sierra Burgess Is A Loser” the most problematic and unrealistic movie of 2018?: a thread: pic.twitter.com/k9tSkBM0Pp
— sinner (@jaredridinghoe) September 9, 2018
-How the plot of “Sierra Burgess is a Loser” could have been fixed – a thread #SierraBurgessIsALoser pic.twitter.com/7eSPqDFozV
— Rebekah (@BekahPierce_) September 9, 2018
The film is streaming on Netflix now.
