Though it is hard to watch but it is a must-watch series.
When They See Us: Mini-TV Series (2019)
Director: Ava Duvernay
Streaming on: NETFLIX
Starring: Asante Black, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Jharrel Jerome, Marquis Rodriguez, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Justin Cunningham, Freddy Miyares, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Kylie Bunbury, Aunjanue Ellis, Vera Farmiga, Felicity Huffman, John Leguizamo, Niecy Nash, Michael K Williams.
One line movie summary
Based on a true story about five teens who are falsely accused of a horrible crime.
About: When They See us
A crime drama TV Mini-series created, directed and co-written by Ava DuVernay for Netflix was premiered on May 31, 2019. It is based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards it received 11 nominations and Jereme won the Best Lead Actor award.
Plot:
A jogger was robbed and attacked in New York’s Central Park in 1989, and five young people were later charged with the murder. The Five claimed their innocence and spent years appealing the convictions in the hopes of being exonerated. This limited series covers a quarter-century, starting with the teenagers’ initial questions about the incident in the spring of 1989, progressing with their exoneration in 2002, and ending with the settlement negotiated with the city of New York in 2014.
Discussion:
When They See Us is better described as “should-watch television.” It’s a crucial depiction of a heinous miscarriage of justice that exposes the rot and bigotry at the heart of the American justice system. It’s well-executed and well-acted. As a result, you must watch this. However, it is a consistently bleak, slow series that necessitates a strong tolerance for intensely depressing dramatic content.
The first episode is about the night of the attack and then the detention and charging of the five, the second is about the prosecution and convictions of the five, the third is about the four under-sixteens time in youth correction facilities and their difficulties reintegrating into society after their release after seven years, and the final chapter reflects on the most desperate case of Korey Wise, who was only 16 years old when he was sentenced to an adult prison and granted a lengthy-term when the real suspect eventually came forward following a chance meeting with Wise in custody and truthfully admitted to the crime.
It is also heartbreaking and, hopefully, can serve as a bridge of understanding as to how circumstance and perspective can pervert justice. The writing is superb. The passion behind the project was indomitable. The performances are masterful. The impact is raw and transformational.
Heartbreaking and infuriating, simply a must-see for anyone anywhere!!
Angie Richardson:
He’s got something to look forward to. You have to find one too. That the trick of a happy life.
Leave a Reply