A new Netflix movie has been heavily criticized online for failing to capture the essence of 2003, with many claiming the film is “nothing like” that year.
The sci-fi slasher Time Cut, which launched on Streamer on October 30, follows teenager Lucy who travels to the early 2000s to stop a cruel killer from murdering her sister.
A sneak peek of the film was uploaded to Netflix’s official X account to tie in with its release and showed lead star Madison Bailey walking down a high school hallway and observing the supposed trends of the time.
As it moved forward, the camera focused on students wearing Ugg boots and Heelys, while one was seen chatting on a flip phone and another holding a Walkman as if it were a Blackberry.
Social media users were quick to criticize the look, with many decrying its inauthentic portrayal from 2003, with one even going so far as to call for the stylists to be fired.
Time Cut has been heavily criticized online for failing to capture the essence of 2003
In a preview, a student held a Walkman as if it were a phone
Taking to
Echoing a similar sentiment, another said: ‘Sorry, whose 2003 is this?’ Because it sure wasn’t mine. Or many others based on the comments lol.’
A third added: “I was a senior in 2003… This is nothing like 2003.”
“Fire those in your styling department,” criticized a fourth.
A fifth said: ‘Having been to high school in 2003, I can tell you it was NOTHING like this fake version of 2024 they’re selling you…’
‘No gelled hair. Band t-shirts? Chuck Taylor? There are several other things, but someone didn’t do their homework before doing this…’
“Honestly this doesn’t feel like 2003, it feels like 2008,” wrote a sixth.
And it’s understandable why Time Cut feels out of touch with 2003.
Students were seen in the hallways wearing Ugg boots.
While some skated in Heelys, a popular shoe that has built-in wheels.
Social media users were quick to criticize the style.
Heelys were arguably most popular in 2005 and 2006, when they achieved $44 million in sales revenue.
Ugg boots, however, were popular in the early 2000s, with sales increasing from $121 million to $214 million in 2003.
In 2008, there were stores in London, Beijing and China, but their popularity declined in the 2010s.
Meanwhile, Walkmans began to lose popularity in the late ’90s and early 2000s thanks to the arrival of MP3 players.
Apple launched its first iPod in 2001, and iTunes arrived two years later in 2003.
Time Cut stars Outer Banks’ Madison Bailey as lead character Lucy, with Antonia Gentry, Michael Shanks and Griffin Gluck also in the cast.
As of this writing, the film has a measly 13 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Many criticized the 2003 film’s inauthentic portrayal, with one even going so far as to call for the stylists to be fired.
In a recent interview with Comic Book, director Hannah Macpherson talked about trying to achieve the 2003 aesthetic.
“I think it helped that I lived in the early 2000s and was a young person trying to figure out who I was,” she said.
‘I remember them quite well and it was great fun to revisit the music, fashion and even electronics.
“There was the authenticity of the fact that I knew the 2000s.”
And he added to the publication: ‘We had excellent department heads who did a lot of research.
“We actually laughed a lot seeing how many things have changed in 20 years.”