Them (2021)

Them is a horror show, through and through. But while the violence is challenging, it’s not necessarily exploitative in its treatment.

What marks out this portrayal of 50s prejudice (not unworked ground) is that, thanks to magnificent performances from Thomas and Ayorinde, you get a great sense of the cost to victims: the sheer amount of mental energy it takes to navigate a relentlessly hostile world, the consequent exhaustion, the constant abrading of the soul. If the series has a weakness as a horror story, it’s that the supernatural stuff is really a bagatelle.

Some people are going to love "Them" and some may be content to acknowledge its visceral potency while desiring to never watch it again. It may traumatize, and that doesn't make it bad or unworthy of your attention. Think of it as a provocation. Then decide if you have the stomach to be provoked, yet again.

The makers of "Them: Covenant" ask their audience to endure scenes of horrific abuse that are unearned by their broader framework.

Them: Covenant, on the other hand, has a lot of promising things going for it, including strong lead performances and unnerving atmosphere in every scene. But it’s hard not to notice that the show spends 10 episodes dragging out a nearly identical story to what Lovecraft efficiently told in one. And after a while, the new show’s individual strengths crumble under the weight of its sheer size.

This is another rehashing of broad Black Lives Matter statements that are unsuccessfully contorted to try to fit into a genre piece. As a result, both the horror aspect and the sociopolitical commentary are shortchanged. There's no sense of mystery, no intrigue that keeps you guessing until the final credits.

Them primarily feels empty during the first half of its run. But episode five, “Covenant I” — which is, notably, directed by the show’s only Black director, Zola’s Janicza Bravo — turns the show from a grating, hollow depiction of Blackness in America to one that revels in degrading its Black characters in a way that left me questioning both the Black creators involved and the studio system that is eager for this kind of work.

Very riveting and measured. Performances are good. Suspense is well. Eye-opening setting.

After watching two episodes, 'Them' is just an OK series. Before it, 'Lovecraft Country' managed to get my attention with an over-the-top but extremely relevant concept. This series echoes that HBO show (and 'Get Out' too), but so far I've seen nothing new or highly engaging. I'll keep watching, but I'm not sure if 'Them' will deliver.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Not sure what to say about the first season of THEM, which I started watching after finishing the exemplary and riveting second season. While season 2 had no shortage of heavy-handed quote-unquote "thematic" elements, it was generally a fantastic genre exercise, a play on Nightmare on Elm Street and Candyman, but with it's own unique identity and vibe. Season **** so insanely over-the-top from minute one that it was immediately difficult to take seriously. I'm all for unpacking racism, but the white characters here are all, to a one, grotesque, oversimplified stereotypes. This degree of hyperbole distills racism into a kind of vaudevillian spectacle almost totally decoupled from reality. I'm glad that Little Marvin was given a second opportunity to up his game, as season 2 really is outstanding. I'm just as glad that I gave up on his first effort two episodes in. This **** good.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]