When they see us review. When They See Us movie review (2019) 2019-12-29

'When They See Us' review: Netflix's Central Park Five miniseries makes a powerful case to be seen

One of the many deep agonies of When They See Us, and one DuVernay compels audiences to consider at length, is who they could have been if none of this had ever happened at all. How does it compare with other depictions of police on television? It's a solid reminder that the four episodes you just watched aren't fiction. She also accurately predicts that the press will demand blood and a quick turnaround because Melli was the kind of victim who sold papers—young, blonde, White and wealthy. In 1990 all five were convicted and sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison. His performance left me shaken. The story begins on April 19, 1989 when a white female jogger is raped and beaten nearly to death in Central Park.

‘When They See Us’ is a powerful, overdue telling of the injustices endured by the Central Park Five

Support comes from a bevy of familiar faces as prosecutors and parents, from , and as the former to , and as the latter. And then one night you look away. The Pitch: On the night of April 19, 1989, five young men between the ages of 14 and 16 were arrested in New York City in connection with a number of crimes in Central Park. It tracks Korey, the only one of the group to be tried and convicted as an adult rather than a minor, through his years spent in various prisons. When They See Us streams Friday, May 31 on Netflix.

When They See Us Review: Ava DuVernay's Netflix Series Is Poignant and Necessary Viewing

Sometimes, usually after dark, he masquerades as a musician credits available on request. To be a part of the correction is incredibly important. What was originally known as Central Park 5 would instead be released with the new title,. And when Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise were arrested for the rape and assault of Trisha Meili in 1989, many pointed at them as proof of that. On the other side, the Central Park Five all have nearly identical story arcs.

When They See Us

Their adolescent counterparts anchor the first two installments while the adult versions support the final two. In that a docudrama makes a story out of raw facts, it is something like a trial itself. One April night in Harlem, five boys see a group of their peers, noisy and exuberant, heading into Central Park. The story of the Central Park Five has certainly been covered extensively by media as well as the , co-directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon. Asante Black as a teen Richardson and Caleel Harris as a young McCray, in particular, render crushing performances in the police interrogation and trial scenes, respectively. The most severe of those crimes was the rape and near-fatal battery of a 28-year-old woman, who had been jogging through the park when attacked.

Netflix’s ‘When They See Us’ Review: Central Park 5 Series Underwhelms

The second captures the trial; the third, which brings in four older actors to play the characters as adults Jerome does double duty as Korey , tracks the experiences of Kevin, Antron, Yusef, and Raymond in juvenile detention, and their difficulties adjusting to release. The miniseries asks hard questions of its audience by never losing sight of the people of color who were sacrificed at the altar of white fears. Others are provocative symbols, and only a few feel as important as the American crime their lives have come to represent. DuVernay who also co-wrote all four installments walks us through the stories of poorly-understood men with a careful eye on the grinding wheels of justice but with an understanding, too, that the system is often destined to fail the most vulnerable. They spent between six and 13 years in detention centers and prisons. Richardson was only 14 at the time, unaware of what the word rape even meant.

Review: Ava DuVernay's ‘When They See Us’ gets to the human heart of the Central Park Five

We also witness how difficult it is for the four men to adjust to life In their changed neighborhoods and their new families. At first, the police assume the kids are witnesses. Sure, we could celebrate in some small fashion that these men were not only exonerated but also won a lawsuit against the city of New York, but that celebration would be cut short by the next travesty of justice. Yet it demands to be told — not only because the world deserves to see the truth, but because, although the case came to a close years ago, it remains relevant to the current political climate. Others—Linda, for example—preferred to live quietly and recover in her own way.

When They See Us (TV Mini

I hope they see that our love is strong enough to change history and that we are also worthy of attention. Williams comes after years of resentment, when Antron tearfully places his now terminal ill father back into his bed, kisses him on the forehead and walks away. Williams has become seriously ill. This guilt — of being outside when a family member is in, of not knowing how to handle cops at the precinct, of unknowingly giving someone the wrong advice — runs throughout the series, also seen in a brilliant performance by as Antron's father. It is also nearly impossible to get a job, which will have an unfortunate effect on one of the men by the end of this chapter. The story is told, earliest on, with an innocent lyricism whose fleetingness is the point.

Netflix’s ‘When They See Us’ Review: Central Park 5 Series Underwhelms

Choices like pointing the finger at Trump and many made in the final hour help elevate the limited series above a straightforward retelling. This is a work that wants viewers to see these people, and the fullness of their humanity, above everything else. Filtered through the layers of invention and manipulation that surround any dramatic work — original dialogue, acting choices, editing, camera angles and music, not to mention production design, costuming and makeup — the film inevitably amounts to a take on the truth, the theory of a case. DuVernay also incorporates moments of striking beauty and sentiment into her story that put bleak scenes into sharper contrast. It is also regularly excruciating. Before her recent passing, on March 22, 2019, Linda told Blake she never missed an opportunity to visit her son, even while caring for her ailing husband and mother. Lives Lived and Lost: When They See Us offers an immersion into the humanity of its subjects, and much of that connection emerges from the uniformly great performances.