With discussions of the unfair treatment of African Americans in the U.S. and the struggles and prejudices they face being more focused in the day-to-day, many filmmakers and storytellers have started to focus on it to keep the conversations going.
One such series is “Them” (2021, created by Little Marvin). “Them” is a horror anthology series that debuted on Amazon Prime Video in April 2021. The first season, titled “Them: Covenant,” follows a Black family that moves from North Carolina to an all-white neighborhood in Los Angeles in the 1950s. The family experiences intense racism and terror from their white neighbors, as well as supernatural occurrences in their new home.
As the show’s graphic depictions of racial violence and trauma spark controversy, viewers are left questioning the balance between honest descriptions of history and careless exploitation. Will the Emory family survive their new home, or will they become victims of the horrors lurking?
In a recent interview, Little Marvin, the creator of the show, revealed his intentions behind using supernatural elements to explore the harsh reality of racism in America. As he puts it, “The supernatural is just the metaphor for real-life horrors that Black people have gone through.”
Henry Emory (played by Ashley Thomas), patriarch of the Emory family, expresses his fear and unease about their move to an all-white neighborhood saying, “We don’t belong here. They don’t want us here.” Despite Lucky Emory (Deborah Ayorinde), Henry’s wife, offering their daughter Ruby (Shahadi Wright Joseph) advice about navigating the racism and hostility of their new neighbors, she still feels overwhelmed by the constant abuse.
Another example of the racism and bigotry the family faces is the scene where the neighbors hang black dolls from the Emory’s home. The dolls are a symbol of hate and prejudice and serve as a clear message to the Emorys that they are not welcomed in the neighborhood.
The scene is made more unsettling by the way it’s shot, with close-ups of the dolls faces and a haunting score that heightens the sense of dread and unease. As the family tries to deal with this horrific act of hate, it becomes clear that the threats they face aren’t just physical, but deeply psychological as well.
The Emory’s tormentors, like Betty (Alison Pill), gloat about the relentless racism and harassment they inflict on the family, “They won’t stop. They’ll never stop.”
However, others have criticized it for being gratuitous and triggering. For example, midway through the series, the episode titled “Day 5” goes back in time to when the family was living in North Carolina and shows a very graphic and disturbing scene where a white woman and two white men waited for Henry to leave, to approach the home in which the women asks Lucky if she can have her baby boy.
The two men and the women enter the Emory’s home. While the woman plays with Lucky’s son, the two white men rape her on the ground as she cries out for her child. That day the Emory’s lost their only son, who had a huge impact on the family and is an essential part of the show’s plot.
Some viewers have accused the show of using real-life traumas as cheap plot devices. In contrast, others argue that it is vital to acknowledge and confront the atrocities committed against Black people in America.
Despite the controversy, “Them” has been a commercial success for Amazon Prime Video and has already been renewed for a second season. The show has sparked meaningful conversations about the intersection of race and horror, as well as the responsibility of creators to handle sensitive subject matter with care.