Netflix NC-17 Marilyn Monroe teaser trailer just released – watch it here
The first trailer for Netflix’s Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde has just been released. In the film, Ana de Armas will play a pop culture icon, and in this short teaser trailer, we see her performance for the first time (which might be enough to put Blonde on Netflix’s best movies list).
The preview begins with Monroe praying in the locker room while putting on her make-up. It then shows several shots, some in monochrome, others in full color. We also see a recreation of the iconic image of Monroe in a white dress standing over a steam grate from the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. The trailer ends with Monroe smiling before starting to laugh, but once the trailer cuts off, her smile seems to falter.
This teaser trailer definitely sets the mood, but it doesn’t reveal much of what we can expect from the full release. It is known that the film is based on the bestseller of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. Netflix’s official plot synopsis gives us a few more clues: “Blonde boldly reimagines the complicated life of the Marilyn Monroe icon. Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, the film subtly explores the tension between her public and private life.”
Based on this description, director Andrew Dominik’s film may not just be a biopic, it may also combine surreal elements in an attempt to explore Monroe’s inner space rather than simply portray the events of her life. Perhaps it will end up being something like 2021’s Spencer, which explores Princess Diana’s existential crisis as she contemplates divorcing Prince Charles through fantastical fairy tale scenes.
This approach would make a lot of sense, as Joyce Carol Oates has previously stated that her book is largely a work of fiction and should not be classified as a traditional biography. Presumably, the film adaptation will have the same relation to the real facts of Monroe’s difficult life.
While Blonde isn’t scheduled to release on Netflix until September 23, it’s already become one of the streaming history books. That’s because it’s the first Netflix movie to be rated NC-17, which is the highest rating the Motion Picture Association of America can give. NC-17 films are extremely rare as many theaters won’t show them, so studios usually edit films to ensure they don’t get rated higher than R.
However, in this case, it seems that Netflix is ready to support Dominic’s vision and allow the film to come out on its platform with a highly controversial rating intact. Why exactly it was called NC-17 is still unknown, other than the fact that the film contains “sexual content”, the specifics of this content currently remain a mystery. However, we can safely say that “Blonde” is not worth watching with the whole family on movie night.
Along with de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, the film also stars Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Julianne Nicholson, Caspar Phillipson (as John F. Kennedy, no less), Toby Huss and Sarah Paxton. It’s set to premiere on Netflix on September 23rd, and when it does, it’s sure to hit the headlines—Monroe herself would be proud.
