When They See Us

I don't remember the last time I was this glued to my laptop watching something. This may be a miniseries, but it plays out like the most heartbreaking yet cinematically beautiful film I've ever laid my eyes on. As tough as this was to watch at many, MANY instances, I am so glad that I did watch it. The story of these men deserved to be told, and Ava did them the true justice of telling their situation for what it was: a horrible breech in our incredibly corrupt justice system that stole the youth of five innocent boys simply because of their skin, their backgrounds and the fact that they exist in a system that does not support them. The acting is incredible, especially from the boys, both as children and adults. The performance that sticks out, however, is Jharrel Jerome. He has the duty of transitioning Korey from carefree teenager to an adult man who is simply trying to survive in a justice system that is ruthlessly working against him at every single moment. There were some shocking moments of this creation that will leave you breathless. Part 1 creates a pit in your stomach that will never go away, and the dread just grows throughout as the boys' experiences of racial profiling and torture simply goes on and on. They truly take you into the lives of these boys and your heart will ache for each one of them for different reasons. This is probably one of the most heartbreaking viewing experiences of my life. But despite this, I believe this film/series is an essential viewing for everyone. It truly puts into perspective the history of racism, police brutality, classism, toxic masculinity and profiling in America. I believe this case should be in just about every kind of textbook that students can possess. Ava DuVernay is a goddess of perfection in her craft. She deserves every bit of praise possible for her work on this brilliant piece. She is so dedicated to her work and it shows in every single moment of this, down to very fine details that she herself made sure were present to give the experiences of these men the authenticity they rightfully deserved. Lastly, I just want everyone to know that the deplorable, bigoted, monstrous, disgusting man that sits at the highest level of importance in the United States paid nearly ninety thousand dollars to fund a billboard that further incriminated these five innocent boys when they were being put on trial in the summer of 1989. Yes, I am talking about none other than DONALD TRUMP! Even if you don't watch this film, it matters to me that you all know this piece of information. But seriously, please watch this if you have the time and share it with everyone that you can. I am absolutely speechless and probably will be for some time.