Netflix’s ‘Insatiable’ Debuts to Brutal Reviews, Mixed Social Media Reaction

Netflix’s controversial new series Insatiable is being met with mixed reviews from social media users.

On the heels of controversy and calls for its cancellation, Netflix released its new teen-aimed drama series Insatiable over the weekend. Following the story of a bullied high school girl who undergoes a dramatic weight loss, the series, which has been accused of body-shaming, was met with mixed reactions on social media and harsh reviews from critics.

One person claimed that the series was “one of the most disgusting shows” in the Netflix library, adding that they were unsure if the series was “glorifying eating disorders and attempting to make them look glamorous or just making a mockery of those with problems with self imagery.”

“I try not to trash something before I’ve seen it,” another person wrote. “So I watched the first half of the first episode of #Insatiable & could not force myself to finish it. It’s just a mess. Disgusting. There are so many worth while stories that need told & this is what they come up with?”

The harsh viewpoints also came from critics, with Vox dubbing the series, “one of the cruelest and most poorly crafted shows” ever, and the AV Club claiming that Insatiable is full of “offensive dialogue and questionable storyline for laughs.”

However, not all of the reactions were bad, with a handful of people claiming that the series had been criticized before it was given a chance and Decider stating that people should “give it an episode or two to understand the outrage and make up your own mind as to if it’s justified.”

“Okay but I’ve been watching #INSATIABLE and haven’t noticed any #FatShaming,” one fan of the series wrote. “If anything the show makes a point of the fact it’s BS how people are treated differently depending on appearance, and touches on the issue of eating disorders. Honestly, I think it’s a good show!”

Another person acknowledged that the series is “dark and twisted,” but claimed that it was “relatable” and “funny,” adding in a second tweet that it “feels like most people who are bashing it haven’t even seen it.”

The series, which officially made its way to the streaming platform on Friday, drew criticism well before its release date, at one point even being the center of a petition aimed at getting the series canceled due to a narrative that “perpetuates not only the toxicity of diet culture, but the objectification of women’s bodies.”

However, Netflix Vice President of Original Series Cindy Holland said that the series was “ultimately, the message of the show is that what is most important is you feel most comfortable” with yourself,” and series creator Lauren Gussis claimed that it was meant to serve as a “cautionary tale.”

Season 1 of Insatiable is currently available for streaming on Netflix.