We Were the Lucky Ones

As a Jew I find this series to be astonishingly good and difficult to watch. The director only chose Jewish actors for the main roles which is significant. When I watch or read anything about the Holocaust I feel it in my bones. The book it is based on was written by the great-granddaughter of Nechuma and Sol. I know any Jewish actor playing a role in a script about the Holocaust would not be acting....they would be thinking it could have been them and still might be. Anti-Semitism is the oldest hatred in the world dating back 2000 years. The story is a biography about a real family that managed to survive intact. That is a miracle. A must see in my opinion.

Four episodes in, and every one is a consistent 8/10. Not great art, a little hokey, but the compulsive gotta-see-what-happens-next factor is very strong with this one.

The cast is mostly unknowns and surprisingly strong. I particularly like Moran Rosenblatt as Herta, the kind of tough cookie who can survive anything.

Logan Lerman as the Parisian sophisticate Addy is also very good. He looks like someone who could have been an actor in the 1940s. Reminds me of Tyrone Power in his glory days, has a lot of the same angsty energy.

I always like seeing attention to detail in historical stories to avoid anachronisms. Seeing someone in the streets of Paris wearing a WWI era gas mask wouldn't have been surprising. They would think the last war would pose the same dangers as the coming one.

When Addy plays "Puttin' on the Ritz," the lyrics are from the original version, about Harlem. A sloppier show would have used the more well known lyrics that were written for a post-war Astaire film. Nice job on research there.

It's a good thing Hulu is doling this out weekly. Otherwise I'd just binge watch the whole thing in one weekend.

I don't understand any of the negative reviews!

Only four episodes so far...but I am extremely captivated by this show. Some characters are a bit more likeable or more interesting than others, but I think the character development is solid so far.

The storylines so far are interesting and definitely keeping me wanting to keep watching. I appreciate each family member's unique storyline and seeing where everyone ends up.

Someone commented that the accents are fake, but I disagree. I think the actors are phenomenal and it seems most of them are actually Jewish which gives this show some extra authenticity points.

I think this show has great momentum and I'm very upset I can't watch the remaining 4! I want to binge the rest of this. Please give this a chance and don't listen to the low reviews!

Watched the first 3 episodes the day they dropped. Many of the actors are from other series I've enjoyed so that inspired me to watch. It is hard knowing their plight, but the characters are developing well. Not sure why they're all speaking English knowing it should be with subtitles but small criticism. Worth watching for sure. Of course, hoping there's more "Kive & Libby" in the series. In fact, why is Michael Aloni not listed on the cast? It definitely has different storylines than most Holocaust centric films. There's a somewhat slow build that is part of the show's intrigue. Hoping they all make it.

The only negative I can say is that in the first episode it's a bit tricky to figure out who all the characters are. I simply rewatched the 1st episode again.

Otherwise this is an excellent series. I agree with other user comments...if you think the events in the film are overblown or overly dramatic, read up on your history. To the contrary, even the most wrenching scenes were depicted in a measured manner, especially considering the reality of that time and place.

For those of us who are history buffs and think we've seen it all when it comes to WWII films, this film offers a unique perspective of one family's plight, and the plot takes curious twists and turns that are both surprising and gripping.