When They See Us

This four part Netflix miniseries came out in 2019, before George Floyd's murder, before the Black Lives Matter movement took hold in the way it has. This miniseries feels even more relevant now, just a mere two years later. It's powerful. It's a gut-punch. It's important. What's it all about? It's the dramatic telling of the true story of the Central Park Five, now known as the Exonerated Five - five kids, wrongfully convicted of raping and assaulting a jogger in Central Park in 1989. These kids did nothing and were convicted for the colour of their skin. Steve Lopez, 14. Antron McCray, 15. Kevin Richardson, 14. Yusef Salaam, 15. Raymond Santana, 14. Korey Wise, 16. Kids. Korey Wise had it by far the worst, being sent to adult prison. Jharrel Jerome is the only actor to play both the young man and the adult version of his character; his being, Korey Wise. He is remarkable. He won an Emmy for his performance. The miniseries brought to me to tears several times. Like I said, it's a gut punch. Powerful stuff. Important viewing. It is reminiscent of the miniseries "The Night Of" which is also excellent and has a similar story line. "The Night Of" is fantastic and I loved it, but it's fictional. "When They See Us" - it's true. This really happened to these boys. After you watch it, follow it up with  Oprah Winfrey's "When They See Us Now" - the interview with the Exonerated Five. Catch both on Netflix