Despite thousands of calls to remove the film from its library, Netflix has confirmed that the film won't be going anywhere. Photo / Netflix
Despite thousands of calls to remove the film from its library, Netflix has confirmed that the film won't be going anywhere. Photo / Netflix
Despite singer Duffy lending her voice to try to have the controversial Netflix film 365 Days pulled from the streaming service, it isn't budging.
Netflix said on Friday it will continue to stream the Polish film, refusing to deny viewers freedom of choice.
"We believe strongly in giving our membersaround the world more choice and control over their Netflix viewing experience," a spokesperson for Netflix told Reuters .
"Members can choose what they do and do not want to watch by setting maturity filters at a profile level and removing specific titles to protect from content they feel is too mature."
He also pointed out this was a Polish film released theatrically in several countries in February 2020 and Netflix had licensed the film and was not involved in the production.
Grammy-winning singer Duffy, 35, who recently disclosed her own experience of being raped, drugged and kidnapped, pleaded for Netflix to drop the film from its library in an open letter.
Welsh singer and songwriter Duffy broke her silence earlier this year, revealing the heartbreaking reason behind her absence from the spotlight. Photo / AP
Sharing her concerns, Duffy wrote: "365 Days glamorizes the brutal reality of sex trafficking, kidnapping and rape. This should not be anyone's idea of entertainment, nor should it be described as such, or be commercialised in this manner.
"I write these words (ones I cannot believe I am writing in 2020, with so much hope and progress gained in recent years), as an estimated 25 million people are currently trafficked around the world, not to mention the untold amounts of people uncounted.
"It grieves me that Netflix provides a platform for such 'cinema', that eroticises kidnapping and distorts sexual violence and trafficking as a 'sexy' movie.
"I just can't imagine how Netflix could overlook how careless, insensitive and dangerous this is."
Her letter, published by entertainment news website Deadline, followed a petition being set up on Change.org calling for the movie to be removed from Netflix for glorifying sex trafficking and facilitating sexual aggression towards women.
By late Friday the petition had about 6,000 signatures.
The controversial Netflix movie is so raunchy is makes Fifty Shades Of Grey look PG.
The Polish series, which landed on the streaming giant this week and is currently the #5 trending movie on Netflix Australia, features scenes of BDSM, voyeurism and kinky sex scenes that are so graphic people thought the actors were actually having sex.
The film's lead actors – Anna Maria Sieklucka and Michele Morrone – are yet to publicly comment on the controversy.
