Few series capture systemic injustice with the same precision and emotional depth as When They See Us. Created by Ava DuVernay and released on Netflix in 2019, this limited series revisits one of the most shocking cases in modern American history: the wrongful conviction of five Black and Latino teenagers in the 1989 Central Park Jogger case.
Winner of multiple awards, including a Primetime Emmy for Jharrel Jerome’s extraordinary performance, the show remains one of the most powerful dramatizations of racial bias, institutional failure, and resilience. Six years on, When They See Us is still streaming on Netflix US, continuing to spark reflection and outrage. Here is everything you need to know about When They See Us – from the plot and cast to reviews and release date. The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
When They See Us – all the key details
- Title: When They See Us
- Format: Miniseries (4 episodes)
- Genre: Biography, history, drama, crime
- Country of production: United States
- Language: English
- Release date: May 31, 2019
- Creator: Ava DuVernay
- Lead cast: Jharrel Jerome, Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Marquis Rodriguez, Michael K. Williams, Felicity Huffman
- Produced by: Netflix
What When They See Us is about
When They See Us tells the harrowing true story of five boys from Harlem – Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise – who become the targets of a brutal and racially charged investigation after a white jogger is assaulted in Central Park in 1989.
Under police pressure, the teens are coerced into false confessions and convicted despite a lack of evidence. The series spans from their arrest through the long years of incarceration, ending with their exoneration in 2002 and the settlement they eventually reached with the City of New York. DuVernay’s direction captures not only the legal horror but also the human cost: the lost youth, the broken families, and the lingering trauma. It is both a personal story and a mirror held up to America’s conscience.
The cast: unforgettable performances
At the heart of When They See Us are extraordinary performances by young actors who bring piercing humanity to their characters. Jharrel Jerome’s portrayal of Korey Wise is particularly haunting – so raw and truthful that it earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series. Alongside him, Asante Blackk, Ethan Herisse, Caleel Harris, and Marquis Rodriguez convey the confusion and fear of adolescence turned into tragedy. The adult performances deepen the story’s emotional reach. Michael K. Williams is heartbreaking as a father powerless to protect his son, Niecy Nash channels grief into fury, while Felicity Huffman and John Leguizamo reflect the conflicting forces inside a system built to fail.
Is When They See Us based on a true story?
Yes. The series is based on the real-life Central Park Five, later known as the Exonerated Five. In April 1989, five teenagers were arrested and falsely accused of raping a jogger in Central Park. They spent years in prison before the real perpetrator confessed and DNA evidence confirmed his guilt. DuVernay worked closely with the men themselves to ensure authenticity, exposing the racism, fear, and media hysteria that drove the case.
What reviews say about When They See Us
A true-crime Netflix series that confronts one of the darkest failures of the U.S. justice system, When They See Us has reminded a new generation that the horrors of the past still have meaning today. Set against the racial tensions of late-1980s New York, the series reconstructs a case that became a symbol of everything broken in the system – coercion, media hysteria, and the criminalization of youth based on skin color.
Ava DuVernay approaches the material with clarity and restraint, turning outrage into storytelling. The result is not just a dramatization of the Central Park Five case, but a haunting chronicle of how quickly innocence can be lost when truth is manipulated by fear. The series invites viewers to look beyond the courtroom, into the personal wreckage left behind — families shattered, futures erased, and lives reshaped by injustice.
Critics and audiences have hailed When They See Us as one of Netflix’s most impactful productions, praised for its emotional honesty and DuVernay’s commanding storytelling. Jharrel Jerome’s final-episode performance is especially unforgettable – a portrait of endurance that has become emblematic of the series’ power: a quiet, devastating study of isolation and endurance that earned him an Emmy and international acclaim.
Thirty years on, the story feels no less urgent. The faces have changed, but the questions remain — about race, power, and who gets to be believed. When They See Us doesn’t just revisit history; it insists we reckon with it.
Why watch When They See Us
If When They See Us leaves you shaken, Seven Seconds offers a compelling follow-up. Both Netflix dramas expose the enduring wounds of racial injustice, centering on crimes where Black lives are devalued and truth is systematically buried. While Seven Seconds is a fictional story about a police-involved hit-and-run, it resonates with the same moral urgency. Together they form a devastating double feature about truth, pain, and survival in a divided society.
When They See Us release date on streaming
Available now. When They See Us is already streaming on Netflix. Release date: May 31, 2019. Watch on Netflix.
Watch the trailer
Here’s the trailer to get a first taste.
