New horror series Them divides viewers with 'traumatic and disturbing' scenes of black family terrorised by racists

AMAZON Prime's latest horror series Them has divided audiences with its "traumatic and disturbing" scenes.

The ten-part series is set in 1953 and follows an African American family, the Emory family, as they move to an all-white neighbourhood and face terror at the hands of racists.

While the series has gained a four star rating on Amazon, it's had viewers divided from the outset due to it's gruesome nature.

Audiences have called out the scenes of racist violence as "traumatic and disturbing", with others admitting they had to "turn it off" due to the tension.

Some have warned of scenes including "violence, infanticide, rape, hate crime and mutilation" that made for horrific and uncomfortable viewing.

"This show is terrifying, brutal, disturbing and heartbreaking," one man began. "It got so bad in one episode that I couldn't even sleep."

"Them is probably one of the most distressing series I've ever seen," another agreed. "I wasn’t ready for how disturbing it was going to get."

"It’s just a series of black people being tortured and I can’t even stomach to finish the rest," a third wrote. "I have to take breaks to mentally and emotionally prepare myself to watch this."

While a fourth chimed in: "Every episode is more traumatic than the previous. It’s making me mad and sad at the same time."

Even horror writer Stephen King admitted he had been left "scared" by the series, writing to Twitter: "The first episode scared the hell out of me, and I'm hard to scare."

Others praised the series as "necessary" and "important" as it addresses a history of "horrendous" racist abuse.

"Them was the absolute most horrendous, disgusting, disturbing, horrifying but necessary and beautiful piece of cinematic work," one woman wrote.

"Proceed with caution, but know that every frame has important and a resounding message."

Another agreed: "Outstandingly good and disturbing in equal measure. Amazing performances. Amazing storytelling. Amazing music."

It comes as the new show has been slammed as "trauma porn" and accused of appealing to "hate crime fantasies", with some even saying they "though a white person wrote it".

The show was created by Lena Waithe along with screenwriter Little Marvin, and shows the family experiencing both supernatural horror and racism at the hands of their new neighbors.

Little Marvin has defended the depictions of violence, saying it shows "authenticity" about what black people experienced during in a segregated America.

But it still proves for difficult viewing, with one particular scene sparking controversy, as protagonist Lucky Emory (Deborah Ayorinde) and her baby son are attacked by a mob.

The deeply upsetting moment sees a white woman steal Lucky's baby Chester and throw him to the floor while the helpless mother is assaulted.

"I can normally deal with horror and death but children, that's just a weak spot for me, the tears won't stop rolling," one viewers said of the scene.

"I was trying to cover my ears and eyes at the same time through that," a second agreed. "I need to pour a drink before the next episode."

Numerous critics have slated the show's use of violence, with an editorial in the LA Times noting: "[It] raises questions about whether the depiction of white supremacist savagery goes too far."

And a review by iNews has the writer saying she had to walk away from the television, saying the story is "trauma porn in a horror guise".

"The racial symbolism feels far too crude, and a smattering of N-words and blackface are used as cheap shock value rather than to make genuine social commentary," noted another editorial in The Independent.

Little Marvin defended his work and said the aim was not to be "provocative or hot button".

He told LA Times: "Yes, there is a concern, but at the end of the day, I as an artist have to sit with myself and grapple with the authenticity of the show.

"If I can sleep at night knowing this entire enterprise has an authenticity and integrity to it, then I'm good."

He said he wanted to ask two questions, "what terrified us the most and what felt most true. Typically, those two things were the same".

And he says the violent show as a place in the "scary place" that is 2021.

He said: "We're incredibly fractured and split down the middle. There are people who want to take the country back to a time they consider great, and there are folks who are fighting for progress."

The US continues to face a reckoning over racism, laid bare with a string of protests and riots last summer over the killing of George Floyd and other black people by police officers.

White supremacy and far right extremism also is on the rise, with President Joe Biden calling for funding to probe the beliefs within government agencies.

Little Marvin said recent violence against black people inspired Them.

He said: "My inspiration was waking up every day and seeing cellphone videos of black people being terrorized in some ways, either by threats from police, surveillance or something else."

He added: "That history goes all the way back to the founding of our country. I was also thinking about the American Dream.

"There's nothing more emblematic of that than owning one's home. 

"There's great pride in that, particularly for black people. But as you know, it's been anything but a dream. It's been a nightmare for Black folks."

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