Parents' Guide to

When They See Us

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Solid dramatic account of 1990s wrongful conviction trial.

TV Netflix Drama 2019
When They See Us Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 15+

Based on 6 parent reviews

luispavon
luispavon Parent of 3 and 6-year-old
December 16, 2020
age 16+

Way to much violence for kids

Really good miniseries but very strong violence in prison

This title has:

Too much violence
Lahughes124
Lahughes124 Parent of 10 and 12-year-old
August 7, 2019
age 15+

Intense adult themes

Lots of language, intense scenes of boy's repeatedly accused of rape and assault.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

WHEN THEY SEE US begins on a spring night as a large group of kids from Harlem go walking through Central Park. Some are just hanging out, while others are harassing bicyclists and getting into fights until the police come and make a handful of forceful arrests. The next morning, the police discover that the violent rape of a 28-year-old woman has also taken place in Central Park, and suspect the teens. They zero in on five kids, using illegal and manipulative tactics to force confessions from them. This is a dramatic account of the aftermath of this real-life New York City crime that shook the country. Prosecutor Linda Fairstein (Felicity Huffman) states her case against the Five during courtroom proceedings, while the teens' parents are portrayed by actors including Niecy Nash and John Leguizamo.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (7):

While it addresses an important subject and problematic piece of recent American history, this ambitious miniseries often depicts the complex idea of institutional racism in generalities and broad strokes. Despite being 30 years old, the Central Park Five case is still relevant, both in that it represents a clear case of racism in the American legal system, and because of Donald Trump's continued engagement with the case (he has called for the execution of the Central Park Five even after they were completely exonerated).

When They See Us seems to portray the NYPD as uniformly corrupt and racist: There's not a single voice of dissent among the officers, which, while dramatic, seems unlikely. On the other side, the Central Park Five all have nearly identical story arcs. More nuance would have brought such a complex and important subject the full gravity it deserves.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the justice system works. When a crime is committed, how do the police in When They See Us respond? How does this compare with your interactions with the police? How does it compare with other depictions of police on television?

  • Who behaves ethically in this series? Why do you think the boys were targeted?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate