To be fair, at first glance, I thought this was the work of Jordan Peele as well.
The new Amazon original series Them is nearing its premiere date of April 9th, and could not be timelier, in the thick of the global Black Lives Matter movement and recent violence against Asian-American people. The series is an anthology, the first season of which focuses on a Black family in the 1950s who move into an all-white neighborhood in Los Angeles. Among the principal cast are Shahadi Wright Joseph (Us), Ryan Kwanten (Dead Silence, True Blood), Deborah Ayorinde (Luke Cage, Harriet), Ashley Thomas (Top Boy, Salvation), and Melody Hurd (Trick).
Many see the series as a spiritual successor to Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us (review), though surprise of all surprises, Peele has precisely nothing to do with this series directly. Who is involved, however, includes Little Marvin, whose previous work includes the political documentary The Time Is Now and the filmmaker drama F-Stops, and Lena Waithe, whose writing credits include the FOX series Bones, the Showtime series The Chi, and the romantic drama Queen & Slim.
The subject of race in horror is nothing new, though it has become far more visible recently. As for horror being political, it’s always been that way for ages, regardless of one’s ability to pay attention to that or not. Them may be the highest-profile example of the indirect influence of Jordan Peele’s brand of horror, and come the 9th of April, we will see what comes of it.
See the teaser trailer and the first official trailer for Them below. The series debuts on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, April 9th.
Comments