Netflix has filed a request asking the federal government to intervene in the child pornography case the company is facing in Texas over its film Cuties. The film, directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, deals with an 11-year-old Senegalese-French girl who joins a twerking dance crew to escape her strict home life. Originally premiering at Sundance in 2020 where it won the directing award, it was eventually distributed internationally on Netflix that same year but sparked a firestorm of controversy.

Whilst Netflix and most critics that reviewed the film have repeatedly defended it as a piece of satire that comments on the sexual exploitation of children, the film’s topic and themes became somewhat of a cause célèbre among members of the conservative right. This included Republican politicians such as Representative Tulsi Gabbard and Senator Ted Cruz, who sent a letter to the Justice Department asking them to investigate the streaming company for child pornography. The furor reached such high levels that the hashtag #CancelNetflix started trending a day after the film's release in the US and Cuties' IMDB score dropped to 1.7/10, indicative of the review-bombing that it no doubt faced. Texas District Attorney Lucas Babin eventually filed an indictment against Netflix, accusing them of child pornography and stating that the film has no artistic value.

Related: Why #CancelNetflix Is Trending: Cuties Controversy Explained

Now, Deadline reports that Netflix is turning to the federal government for help, filing a request to have them block the court case. They describe it as an “extraordinary case” and claim that Babin is acting in “bad faith.” Netflix’s main argument is that they were acting under their First Amendment right to free speech and petition and that Babin has brought “trumped up charges” against them.

While Netflix has stated that some of the marketing images they used to promote the film were inappropriate, they are continuing to defend the film as a piece of satire and artistic expression. Their complaint does make it clear that it would be unusual for a federal court to intervene in a case such as this, but they feel it is necessary as Babin’s spurious moral crusade against them shows no sign of stopping. The outcome of the hearing set to examine the request on March 4 will be an indicator of the case’s direction.

If Netflix is successful in having their case blocked, will that then end the controversy that surrounds Cuties forever? It seems unlikely, as the divisive nature of the discourse surrounding the film reached such bitter heights. Doucouré even spoke out about the death threats she received through social media, an all-too-familiar occurrence in our current discursive landscape and which also goes to show that nowadays, controversy is very difficult to wash off.

More: Netflix: The Best New TV Shows & Movies This Weekend (March 4)

Source: Deadline