Horrors And Humanity In Ava DuVernay's Gripping 'When They See Us'
Ava DuVernay's powerful Netflix series shows a system that frequently fails men of color — and the costs of that system to a famous group of boys who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
This was the toughest TV show for me to watch in a long while.
When They See Us is director/writer/producer Ava DuVernay's searing, four-part drama about five black and Latino boys who were railroaded into falsely confessing to the most notorious gang rape in New York City history. But it wasn't difficult viewing for its violence—in fact, the Netflix series is very careful in how it presents many instances of assault, with the most grisly details left to viewers' imagination.
It was tough to watch because DuVernay's look at the Central Park Five depicts a chilling circumstance that sits in the back of my mind, as a black
