When They See Us Review: Gut-Wrenching and Powerful!

Cast – Various
Director – Ava DuVernay
Genre – Drama
Streaming Platform – Netflix

Also Read: ‘Chernobyl‘ Miniseries Review

Introduction

Writer/director Ava DuVernay’s four-part Netflix miniseries When They See Us is a timely reminder of a fragmented justice system and black prejudice that still exists in America. Built on true events and the 2012 documentary, The Central Park Five, When They See Us develops beyond the manifest content of racism and injustice and actually portrays the feelings and the struggles of the wrongfully accused boys and their families.

Rationalization

If you’re familiar with the details of the Central Park Five case, you will understand the elementary concept of this miniseries. In 1989, a white woman was raped, assaulted and left for dead in central park. The sheer odiousness of the crime led to the detective in charge to quickly bring in answers which were five young black male that were seemed to have been chosen at random. Even with no evidence to chain them to the crime, the five youngsters were interrogated, convicted and incarcerated and this itself displays the blatant abuse of power and the various renderings that explode out of nowhere when it comes to the black accused/white victim narrative. It was interesting to see how negative terms like “animals” and “turds” were used to describe a black accused and like many cases that precede this, the prejudice that seem embedded in every term, description and assumption seem to scream out “White Privilege.”

The intense and fast-paced drama is augmented by its fantastic casting. Felicity Huffman, in her role as the detective, is glorious and she seems to dominate every scene she appears in with feral passion and some fantastic body language. Perhaps her casting was accentuated by the alleged crimes in which the actress is involved and that may have given her the inspiration to straddle the lines of moral ambiguity in such perfect fashion. Additionally, the performance of her co-stars, the five boys, Asanthe Blackk, Jharrel Jerome, Marquis Rodriguez, Ethan Herisse and Caleel Harris are equally as mesmerising and they shine with conviction in the emotional moments that the show delivers.

Conclusion

When They See Us asks the hard questions and makes you think. What is it like to look dead in the eyes of authority and feel helpless knowing that there is absolute no one out there to save you? A series that takes a look at systematic racism, the effects and the cause, strikes a note with its spellbinding performance and compelling storytelling.

Rating – 4/5 | Grade – A