Them is a horror series about a Black family moving into a white neighborhood in Los Angeles in 1953. That premise is simple, and it could work. Instead, the show leans on supernatural dread and psychological terror while skimping on the social and historical context that should anchor it. The result is a series that feels less like a sharp portrait of mid-century racism and more like a haunted-house thriller with a racial subtext.
The pilot episode introduces the Clark family — Roy, Alma, and their young children — as they leave their apartment building and settle into a new home in a predominantly white neighborhood. Alma sees strange figures in the walls, and Roy senses that the community is hostile. The show wants you to believe that the supernatural horrors are a stand-in for the everyday racism the Clarks face. That metaphor is clunky, and it never quite lands.
Trailer, via Prime Video.
The Ghosts and the Racism
The ghosts in Them are meant to represent the unseen forces of systemic racism. The show repeatedly draws parallels between the malevolent spirits that haunt the house and the institutionalized discrimination the Clark family encounters outside it. The problem is that the show never commits fully to either side of the equation. The ghosts are treated as literal entities, complete with physical manifestations and malevolent intent, while the racism is mostly shown through dialogue and occasional violent confrontations.
The show also struggles to balance its two central threads. The ghost story is a pulpy, crowd-pleasing genre exercise, while the racial drama is meant to be the serious heart of the narrative. These two threads keep pulling in opposite directions, and the result is a show that never quite commits to being either a straight horror piece or a historical drama.
Alma’s Perspective
Alma is the emotional core of Them, and actress Emmy Rossum carries much of the weight of the series on her shoulders. Her performance is frequently compelling, especially in scenes where she tries to hold the family together while Roy becomes increasingly paranoid and volatile. However, the writing often lets her down, particularly in the later episodes where her character’s actions become increasingly erratic and unexplained.
The show also leans heavily on Alma’s visions and premonitions to drive the plot forward. While this can create a tense atmosphere, it also makes the narrative feel somewhat unreliable. It becomes difficult to distinguish between what is happening in the present and what is happening in Alma’s mind, which blurs the line between horror and psychological thriller.
The Neighborhood and Its Residents
The other residents of the neighborhood are drawn in broad strokes. Some are friendly but unsettling, others are openly hostile. The show doesn’t spend enough time establishing why these people behave the way they do, beyond vague gestures towards fear, jealousy, or outright hatred. This lack of depth means that the antagonists feel less like fully realized characters and more like cogs in a larger machine designed to generate tension.
The show also touches on themes of class and economic anxiety, suggesting that some of the hostility stems from resentment over the Clarks’ perceived success. These moments are promising, but they are underdeveloped. The series seems more interested in the immediate threat of the ghosts than in exploring the complex social dynamics that created the climate of fear around the family.
The Final Episodes
The middle portion of the season builds toward a climax that attempts to merge the ghost story with the racial drama. Roy becomes increasingly unhinged, and the supernatural elements intensify. The show reaches for a finale that ties the two threads together, but the execution falls short. The resolution feels rushed, and the final reveal about the nature of the ghosts feels more like a convenient twist than a meaningful conclusion.
The pacing also suffers in the final stretch. The series rushes through key plot developments, leaving little room for the audience to process the events. This is a shame, because the setup for the climax is promising, and the show’s best ideas get buried under a frantic rush to wrap things up.
What Works and What Doesn’t
- The performances, particularly Emmy Rossum’s Alma, carry the show when the writing falters.
- The atmosphere is often tense, with effective use of lighting and sound design.
- The show’s attempt to merge supernatural horror with a historical setting is ambitious, even if it doesn’t always succeed.
- The political and social commentary is frequently muddled, and the show’s handling of racism feels superficial at times.
- The pacing drags in the middle of the season, and the final episodes feel rushed and unsatisfying.
Them is a show with a strong premise and a talented cast, but it fails to fully commit to its central idea. The supernatural elements are engaging, but they overshadow the historical and social commentary that should have been at its center. The series is watchable, occasionally powerful, but ultimately uneven. It is a show that aims for greatness but settles for being merely adequate.
Them earns a score of 5.7 out of 10.
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