Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they're falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park. Based on the true story.Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they're falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park. Based on the true story.Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they're falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park. Based on the true story.
- Won 2 Primetime Emmys
- 31 wins & 78 nominations total
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Summary
Reviewers say 'When They See Us' is a compelling mini-series that powerfully addresses racial injustice and systemic flaws. Jharell Jerome's performance as Korey Wise is highly acclaimed. The series is emotionally intense, sparking important discussions about race and justice. Some find it overly dramatized, preferring a documentary approach. Political biases affect a few reviews, yet its impact and storytelling are widely recognized.
Featured reviews
The acting in this series especially by the kids/young adults really pulled me in. I havent gotten this emotional watching anything in a long time. The last episode had me in tears multiple and I hope viewers withhold judgment till they see the whole thing. This is still so relevant 30 years later.
Rating: 8.5/10
Themes: Biography, History, Drama, Racism, Injustice, Rape, Prison, Persecution, Law, Police & Crime.
Review: This story is something that honestly leaves me speechless. There are no words to describe the outrage I feel with regards to this situation or the injustice of what these five boys went through. It's insane. It's crazy. It's UNJUST. However, I'm now going to go into the actual execution of this series, rather than the story itself, which, in my opinion, left certain things to be desired. I think the first and final episode were chilling and were able to portray the story in the exact right manner. However, the middle two episodes (especially the third) could have been done better. They didn't hit as deep and they felt very rushed. I feel like we didn't really get to see the struggle Kevin, Yusef, Antron and Raymond went through after they got convicted. I feel like we glossed over their experiences a little bit. Opposingly, Korey's life was depicted in detail and with a lot of emotion (in the final episode), and it was his story that eventually brought me to tears. In conclusion, this story is a devastating one, and this series luckily brings a strong light to that, but I personally feel like some things could have been executed a little better to portray the story even better and do even more justice to all these five boys.
Themes: Biography, History, Drama, Racism, Injustice, Rape, Prison, Persecution, Law, Police & Crime.
Review: This story is something that honestly leaves me speechless. There are no words to describe the outrage I feel with regards to this situation or the injustice of what these five boys went through. It's insane. It's crazy. It's UNJUST. However, I'm now going to go into the actual execution of this series, rather than the story itself, which, in my opinion, left certain things to be desired. I think the first and final episode were chilling and were able to portray the story in the exact right manner. However, the middle two episodes (especially the third) could have been done better. They didn't hit as deep and they felt very rushed. I feel like we didn't really get to see the struggle Kevin, Yusef, Antron and Raymond went through after they got convicted. I feel like we glossed over their experiences a little bit. Opposingly, Korey's life was depicted in detail and with a lot of emotion (in the final episode), and it was his story that eventually brought me to tears. In conclusion, this story is a devastating one, and this series luckily brings a strong light to that, but I personally feel like some things could have been executed a little better to portray the story even better and do even more justice to all these five boys.
The only bad reviews I have seen are by conservative commentators who see it as a political diatribe. It isn't. It's the brutally honest story of a horrible tragedy and the racial discrimination of the time, exemplified in a nationally known case. Unfortunately for conservatives, if it's a story about racial discrimination - which has existed throughout history and continues to exist today - its considered a liberal agenda, even though it is not. It's a story of Injustice, and an excellent one at that.
Side note: Now some commentators have some now claimed that it blames Trump, but it doesn't. I would point out, however, that Trump backed their conviction and opposed their being let go even after it was demonstrated they were innocent.
Side note: Now some commentators have some now claimed that it blames Trump, but it doesn't. I would point out, however, that Trump backed their conviction and opposed their being let go even after it was demonstrated they were innocent.
Brilliant but very hard to watch. It made me so angry. Fantastic acting from start to finish.
Hard to watch and because it feels so real it really makes me sad and angry.
Did you know
- TriviaJharrel Jerome lobbied for an audition while he was busy filming Mr. Mercedes (2017), for which he had grown a beard. With the beard, he was afraid he would be considered too old to play the younger Korey, and he fully expected that the project would cast two different actors to play the part at different ages. After finishing Mr. Mercedes, he shaved his beard and auditioned again. Ava DuVernay was so impressed by both his audition, and how much his facial hair aged him, that she cast him as Korey at both ages.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Conan: Niecy Nash (2019)
- How many seasons does When They See Us have?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime
- 1h 15m(75 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.00 : 1
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