Warning: This article includes discussions of rape which may be distressing for some readers.
Netflix audiences have been moved to tears by an ‘incredibly powerful’ series that draws from a tragic true story.
When They See Us is a four-episode crime-drama miniseries released on Netflix in 2019, centering on the aftermath of an incident that took place roughly three decades ago.
The case, known as the ‘Central Park jogger case,’ involves the criminal trial of five teenagers wrongfully accused in relation to the assault and rape of Trisha Meili. Meili was attacked in Manhattan’s Central Park in 1989 while jogging.
At 28, Meili suffered severe injuries during the assault, including a fractured skull and eye socket, hypothermia, brain damage, hemorrhagic shock, internal bleeding, and significant blood loss, leading to a 12-day medically induced coma.
The series explores the lives and families of the five Black and Latino youths who were convicted and imprisoned for between seven to 13 years for a crime they did not commit.
Netflix viewers have been left emotional by the series, which received critical acclaim and a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Upon its premiere from May 31, 2019, to June of that year, it became the most-watched series on Netflix in the United States.
One Twitter user commented: “You’ve gotta watch When They See Us on Netflix. It’s an incredibly powerful mini series based on a true story and it has made my heart ache. The casting is phenomenal and the acting has blown me away. please find some time to watch it!”
In the Facebook group Netflix Bangers, others have recommended the series, though they caution viewers to ‘have tissues ready’ for a binge session.
Another person remarked, “Very difficult at times to watch,” but also called it “perfect.”
Many fans described it as a ‘tough watch’ but a ‘vital’ viewing experience.
“Just finished watching When They See Us and I have to say wow what a good series but man did I cry like a baby. [My] heart breaks for all the men involved,” another viewer shared.
The case shook New York at the time, and when the trial took place a year later, The New York Times referred to it as ‘one of the most widely publicized crimes of the 1980s.’
A decade after the attack, serial rapist Matias Reyes confessed to the crime, leading to the exoneration of the five men in 2002 while they were still imprisoned.
The wrongly convicted youths, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, later became known as the Exonerated Five and are now commemorated with a plaque in Central Park.
After their release, the five sued the city in 2003 for their wrongful conviction and received a settlement in 2014. The series’ cast, creator, and the exonerated five also appeared in an Oprah Winfrey special, which viewers are encouraged to watch afterward.
If any of the issues discussed have affected you, contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7, or chat online at online.rainn.org.