'The Help’ on top amid George Floyd protests

Black activists not happy about it, though

Despite the bounty of films by black artists available online, in this time of crisis, many viewers are turning to The Help — a film written and directed by a white man, based on a book by a white woman, about a white woman's quest to document the plight of black maids — instead.

As nationwide anti-racism protests continue in light of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other black people killed by police, the 2011 film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel became the most-viewed movie on Netflix in the US on Thursday, reported Entertainment Weekly. Its resurgence has drawn criticism from many black writers and activists on social media, who are urging viewers to seek out other resources and films to educate themselves on racism.

"I'm so sorry but the last thing folks need to be watching is bootleg 'racial reconciliation' films 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-Vachontweeted."Do not watch The Help right now," writer Ashley Perez tweeted. "WATCH 13th, Selma or When They See Us. Literally, watch anything but The Help!

”But the film is not new to criticism, incidentally. In 2011, ahead of its release, black novelist Martha Southgate penned an op-ed wherein she wrote, "Implicit in The Help and a number of other popular works that deal with the civil rights era is the notion that a white character is somehow crucial or even necessary to tell this particular tale of black liberation."

Even star Viola Davis critiqued the film in retrospect, telling the New York Times in 2018 that she regretted taking part it.

"It wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard," the actor said at the time. "I know Aibileen. I know Minny. They’re my grandma. They’re my mom. And I know that if you do a film 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 Help."

Directed by Tate Taylor, The Help earned Octavia Spencer an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and also stars Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.