For me definitely it's deep and thought provoking. Very relevant dealing with racism, trauma, mental health, systematic equalities, so much more all wrapped into a tv series. At times its over the top but overall highly recommended! Some say it's regurgitated racist stereotypes that we need to move on from but personally I feel they aren't talked about enough. Real slavery and Jim Crow was worse. This series after Jordan Peele's rise and Spike Lee's legacy are just the tipping point in bringing these stories to the forefront.
829 Reviews
Don't trust the 1 star or 10 star reviews.
johnsudduth110 April 2021
The fact of the matter is that if you liked Jordan Peele's "Get Out" or "Us", you will most likely enjoy this series as it has many stylistic similarities. The show has interesting characters, good directing, good acting and is genuinely creepy at times.
That being said, it's not perfect (10/10) or a waste of time (1/10) like some users are suggesting. It's simply decent. If you're looking for a creepy show to binge on a weekend, I highly recommend giving this a watch.
That being said, it's not perfect (10/10) or a waste of time (1/10) like some users are suggesting. It's simply decent. If you're looking for a creepy show to binge on a weekend, I highly recommend giving this a watch.
Horrifying on Multiple Levels
billindalex9 April 2021
After having watched the first three episodes I find this series horrifying. It makes me feel terrible and sad and scared while at the same time hopeful that somehow things will work out for the family, though I have a desperate dread that it won't. Some reviews say the producers took racism too far. Unfortunately, I think, in actuality, it was much much worse.
Unexpectedly ended up marathoning THEM on Prime
tidymuso499 April 2021
Didn't know anything about this TV series but I thought I would watch something before my Prime subscription ended. I sat watching from beginning to end on the edge of my couch. It was disturbing, menacing, emotional and beautiful. All the actors were just incredible the soundtrack was amazing the storyline was a breath of fresh air. Them was visually stunning and thought provoking to watch, I didn't want it to end.
Great start but...
nishil-patel18 May 2021
This series starts off so well - the storyline was very real and the story-telling was carefully planned and executed but.. by the time you reach episode 6-7 the story heads in a very odd direction. The illusions take over the plot, to the extent that it sometimes becomes difficult to differentiate what's real from the illusion.
By the time you get to the end it all becomes a bit of a disappointment. This could have been so much better..
By the time you get to the end it all becomes a bit of a disappointment. This could have been so much better..
Unexpectedly AMAZING
nativextisc9 April 2021
Im truly surprised by the low ratings but then i read their comments. I guess the truth hurts. Seems to also strike a nerve in the nonbelievers of racism, and the effects it has psychologically on those who have suffered generations of trauma. I dont know about you but this series made me want to jump in my TV and legitimately ring necks lol. Im suggesting it to everyone. You guys did an amazing job with this.
Nice story, but if you're sensitive please dont watch
luismartinssilva11 April 2021
The current overall rating (6,4) is a bit underrated because of the quality of the whole show. The thematic scenario is well-built, the characters are well-developed and the story itself it isn't too bad. Although its not pure horror, it has its scary moments sometimes. The pace in the first 2/3 episodes was a bit slow for me and I had some trouble to pass through them, but I gave it a chance. After that I think they tried to address too much into the storyline.
Now I have to be honest, if you're even a bit sensitive to explicit images, don't even start to watch this show. It has probably the worse scene I've watched in a tv show, even for a horror one. Besides THAT scene, the whole series is about many other bad scenes and events that even for someone like me, "used" to that type of scenes, was really harsh to watch. It's more like a sad, dramatic, injustices show than horror on. The excess of violence and injustices is actually the reason I don't give a solid 8/10 rating.
Now I have to be honest, if you're even a bit sensitive to explicit images, don't even start to watch this show. It has probably the worse scene I've watched in a tv show, even for a horror one. Besides THAT scene, the whole series is about many other bad scenes and events that even for someone like me, "used" to that type of scenes, was really harsh to watch. It's more like a sad, dramatic, injustices show than horror on. The excess of violence and injustices is actually the reason I don't give a solid 8/10 rating.
Episode Five. Enough Said!
danielthompsonfp22 April 2021
There are incredibly few films that have left my jaw on the floor, and this series did just that. However it didn't just cause me to do it once, but over, and over, again.
This series has a very "Antebellum" feel to it, in the sense that from the trailer, I was under the impression that it would be one thing, and it turned out to be something completely different. The first few minutes of episode one mentions that this is based on true events, and that's all I could think about as I started each episode. This country has seen some sickening moments in time, and to be frank, it wasn't that long ago. Episode five. Enough said!
Disturbing, edge of your seat, saddening, gut-wrenching horror. You're going to feel it all in this series. Highly recommend if you're looking for something that will take you on a crazy ride. 'Them' does just that, and more.
This series has a very "Antebellum" feel to it, in the sense that from the trailer, I was under the impression that it would be one thing, and it turned out to be something completely different. The first few minutes of episode one mentions that this is based on true events, and that's all I could think about as I started each episode. This country has seen some sickening moments in time, and to be frank, it wasn't that long ago. Episode five. Enough said!
Disturbing, edge of your seat, saddening, gut-wrenching horror. You're going to feel it all in this series. Highly recommend if you're looking for something that will take you on a crazy ride. 'Them' does just that, and more.
Disturbing
redsky921 April 2021
Started ok, became slow and strange...
dwestlow11 April 2021
There is a lot happening in this show. It starts well and is easy to follow....but as it moves forward it is very difficult to make sense of what is actually happening. By the end of it we found ourselves asking "what did it all mean"? One scene can be broken up into 2 or 3 timelines or universes. It's extremely choppy which makes it difficult to assess and make any sense of. It extremely disappointing as the trailer looked fantastic. Watch it and make up your own mind. Ultimately it was a massive let down after such high expectations.
Very strong, but extremely heavy to watch.
johannes2000-113 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is definitely not a pleasant watch: it is more or less like a 10 episodes long punch in the belly. The story tells of the unrelenting discrimination of a black family that moves into a white suburban neighborhood in the US, around the 50's. Things deteriorate, the neighbors gradually work themselves up to a murderous frenzy, while the besieged black family desperately tries to cope with all of this, until eventually they break and start fighting back.
To picture this gruesome story, the makers of this series use various narrative techniques, like flashbacks, metaphors, figments of the imagination, etcetera, up until bringing in supernatural, almost gothic aspects. Although this at many times results in fascinating cinematography, it's also a bit much, and there are moments that it caused (at least with me) serious confusion. Another slight reservation concerned the part of Betty, the most fervent of the discriminating neighbors. The series provided her with a substantial story-line of her own, stretching over several episodes. This was in itself fascinating, and Alison Pill acted great, but it seemed to have nothing whatsoever to do with the main story. So why?
Deborah Ayorinde and Ashley Thomas both did a stunning job, they really had to go to the limits and beyond in their parts. Shahadi Wright Joseph and Melody Hurt as their daughters were equally great, you almost shudder to think how these young kids must have undergone all the pretended but very convincingly pictured hate and violence during the filming.
To picture this gruesome story, the makers of this series use various narrative techniques, like flashbacks, metaphors, figments of the imagination, etcetera, up until bringing in supernatural, almost gothic aspects. Although this at many times results in fascinating cinematography, it's also a bit much, and there are moments that it caused (at least with me) serious confusion. Another slight reservation concerned the part of Betty, the most fervent of the discriminating neighbors. The series provided her with a substantial story-line of her own, stretching over several episodes. This was in itself fascinating, and Alison Pill acted great, but it seemed to have nothing whatsoever to do with the main story. So why?
Deborah Ayorinde and Ashley Thomas both did a stunning job, they really had to go to the limits and beyond in their parts. Shahadi Wright Joseph and Melody Hurt as their daughters were equally great, you almost shudder to think how these young kids must have undergone all the pretended but very convincingly pictured hate and violence during the filming.
This is probably the best addition to the horror genre in 2021
kevin_robbins7 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Them (2021) is a series my fiancée and I wrapped up last weekend on Amazon Prime. The storyline takes place in the early 1950s as Los Angeles was really thriving and black Americans started moving to the predominantly white Compton. Unfortunately for one family the house they move into is both haunted and surrounded by racist white people, with problems of their own, that will stop at nothing to keep their area without diversity.
This series was created by Little Marvin (The Time is Now) and stars Deborah Ayorinde (Luke Cage), Ashley Thomas (The Night Of), Alison Pill (Goon), Shahadi White Joseph (Us), Ryan Kwanten (Dead Silence) and Pat Healy (The Innkeepers).
The storyline for this is absolutely amazing and was a perfect blend of The Shining and Poltergeist. The cinematography and how it was shot was beyond brilliant as was the woven in facts of American history. The acting was phenomenal. How they could weave in all the travesties of everything from losing a child, to the challenges of PTSD, to being sexually abused by your parents, to facing racism...I'm not sure too many shows or movies have ever covered these topics and the intensity that goes with it in your day to day life so well.
This series is remarkable and I couldn't score it anything but a 10/10. This is probably the best addition to the horror genre in 2021 and I think it will be hard for anything else to come close.
This series was created by Little Marvin (The Time is Now) and stars Deborah Ayorinde (Luke Cage), Ashley Thomas (The Night Of), Alison Pill (Goon), Shahadi White Joseph (Us), Ryan Kwanten (Dead Silence) and Pat Healy (The Innkeepers).
The storyline for this is absolutely amazing and was a perfect blend of The Shining and Poltergeist. The cinematography and how it was shot was beyond brilliant as was the woven in facts of American history. The acting was phenomenal. How they could weave in all the travesties of everything from losing a child, to the challenges of PTSD, to being sexually abused by your parents, to facing racism...I'm not sure too many shows or movies have ever covered these topics and the intensity that goes with it in your day to day life so well.
This series is remarkable and I couldn't score it anything but a 10/10. This is probably the best addition to the horror genre in 2021 and I think it will be hard for anything else to come close.
Difficult to watch at times
dorsetdryad9 April 2021
I appreciated the eerie and sinister atmosphere. It did feel like I was watching a black family suffering for 9 episodes which would have put me off watching if it wasn't for me willing the last episode to have some sort of resolution. Not only were they up against racism but supernatural forces as well - it's like it couldn't be worse. It was rather depressing and hopeless than scary but the last episode kind of redeemed the series. It did keep me watching until I'd finished all the episodes so it gets some points for that. I need to watch something cheerful now.
A Lot Like American Horror Story... Dark.
wandernn1-81-68327416 August 2021
Rewatched A 2nd time and Season 1 was pretty damn good. I paid a lot closer attention this time. But I enjoyed the end and the creepiness factor the 2nd time through was even better. Giving it a little bump to 8/10
So I thought Season 1 was Creepy, Dark, Weird, Bizarre and totally American Horror Story esqe. I liked it. Will there be a season 2? It doesn't seem like they wrote the show with a season 2 in mind. Some great performances in the show acting-wise. Oh nevermind I see it says it will be an 'anthology' show' so it WILL be like American Horror Story. I can go for that. But for this first season I scored it an average by ep. Of 7/10.
Season 1 - 7/10.
So I thought Season 1 was Creepy, Dark, Weird, Bizarre and totally American Horror Story esqe. I liked it. Will there be a season 2? It doesn't seem like they wrote the show with a season 2 in mind. Some great performances in the show acting-wise. Oh nevermind I see it says it will be an 'anthology' show' so it WILL be like American Horror Story. I can go for that. But for this first season I scored it an average by ep. Of 7/10.
Season 1 - 7/10.
Hard to watch
kymokeefe3 March 2022
I give this a 6.5/10 rating; the show has all the makings of a fantastic horror series, great storyline and directing, amazing actors, beautiful cinematography-- however most of the villainous characters aren't sinister, they're just horrible people. I would've liked more thrills & scares instead of seeing how awful people were to them. Very tough watch, otherwise I think the writers and director did an awesome job.
So good you'll wanna punch a wall.
minalebunnie10 April 2021
Costumes, makeup, hair, set, writing, cinematography, performances: all excellent and on point. I'm obsessed with this. Already plotting to be Betty for Halloween because she's genuinely the most terrifying villainess I've seen in a long time. Go watch it rfn.
Such an amazing buildup and then it crashes hard
a-grayson1530 April 2021
I absolutely LOVED everything up until episode 9. I feel like episode 9 was completely unnecessary and shouldn't have been put in at all. They over explained it. The last episode tried to make up for it but couldn't. I would still recommend this to people, but I'll warn them that they'll be disappointed in the ending. It makes me so sad because of just how good it was for most of it. It deserved so much better.
under rated
nexusnemesis9 April 2021
Fetishized racism
oshngrl27 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I am not a fan of horror movies but I was interested to see how this series played out. It runs the gamut from angry to sad, peppered with outrage.
I don't recommend this for black people, and for people of any other race, if you haven't been living under a rock you are aware of the disparity that exists between the races, and probably don't need reminding.
I haven't quite finished the series, I believe I am on day nine right now but you kind of know that things aren't gonna work out well for this family and I don't see how my life was enhanced in any way by giving this series the hours I put in.
I have no intention of watching the episode where the black family was tortured and killed so I probably won't finish watching this. I need some joy in my life and you definitely will not get any here. A thumbs down for me, even though the production values, the acting, the site design and costumes are all very good, the message is bad.
I don't recommend this for black people, and for people of any other race, if you haven't been living under a rock you are aware of the disparity that exists between the races, and probably don't need reminding.
I haven't quite finished the series, I believe I am on day nine right now but you kind of know that things aren't gonna work out well for this family and I don't see how my life was enhanced in any way by giving this series the hours I put in.
I have no intention of watching the episode where the black family was tortured and killed so I probably won't finish watching this. I need some joy in my life and you definitely will not get any here. A thumbs down for me, even though the production values, the acting, the site design and costumes are all very good, the message is bad.
Ok- Don't think I'd watch again
brah_vo13 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I gave this a few days to digest and take it what I watched. Overall it was not bad BUT also not good. I just got too invested and had to finish.
Personally I feel lots of things shown, the show could've done without. As a black person i understand the creators wanted it to be raw and hit home on what happened back in the day to colored people. But I feel it was executed as a very pretentious-in your face-college film student type vibe.
Obviously the r**e and child murder scene was very intense to watch (had to look away a few times) just personally wasn't it for me. I'm willingly to bet that for season two they'll be just a screwed up and this time go the route of some Nazi/consecration camp type thing since that's pretty much the last and just a screwed up thing.
Personally I feel lots of things shown, the show could've done without. As a black person i understand the creators wanted it to be raw and hit home on what happened back in the day to colored people. But I feel it was executed as a very pretentious-in your face-college film student type vibe.
Obviously the r**e and child murder scene was very intense to watch (had to look away a few times) just personally wasn't it for me. I'm willingly to bet that for season two they'll be just a screwed up and this time go the route of some Nazi/consecration camp type thing since that's pretty much the last and just a screwed up thing.
Definitely recommend!
jessicalong-726709 April 2021
I started watching this, This morning and little did I know today was the day it came out. I believe if you are a fan of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story series that this will also be something you like. It's mixed with real life horrors from the past as well as ghostly type horrors. The actors and actresses all done a fantastic job. Would definitely recommend to watch.
Masterful and Layered.. A Must Watch!
seanhosein11 April 2021
I don't think many would realise just how poignant and relevant this series really is. On the surface it plays out like an entertaining thriller/horror of family being terrorised by the new neighbourhood they've moved into. Deeper down though, it's a masterful allegory of the generational trauma that racism inflicts on a people, with an even deeper look at how it individually impacts each character.
Incredible series! A MUST WATCH!
Incredible series! A MUST WATCH!
Cut back on the weirdness, maybe?
amyfleck10 April 2021
This show had good potential... I was intrigued until about halfway through. Then the weirdness just spiraled out of necessity. It's like shows of today put this factor in (thx Jordan Peele) just to make it interesting and unique. It doesn't. It makes it hard for anybody to even get a grasp on. Wtf was this about? A black family ostracized from a white neighborhood? Or the demons, they themselves held within? Too much plot, leads to little satisfaction. I would consider myself as someone with a modicum of intellect , but it steers too far into the weirdness to even understand. 5 stars, for the first 5 episodes. An extra star for the acting, which was good, especially that 5 year old little girl. Nm, 6 stars for her. Kudos!
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