Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing
Netflix viewers have been driven to tears after watching what they describe as an ‘incredibly powerful’ series that is based on a harrowing true story.
When They See Us is a four-part crime-drama TV miniseries that was brought to Netflix in 2019 and is based on the events and aftermath from a case that occurred some 30 years ago.
The so-called 'Central Park jogger case' concerns the criminal case and trial of five teenagers who were wrongly charged in connection with the assault and rape of Trisha Meili, who had been running in the Manhattan, New York, park when she was attacked in 1989.
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The 28-year-old was so badly injured in the assault - sustaining injuries like a fractured skull and eye socket, hypothermia, brain damage, hemorrhagic shock, internal bleeding and a loss of blood - that she was induced in a coma for 12 days.
The TV series touches upon the lives and the families of the five Black and Latino men who were prosecuted and served time between seven to 13 years behind bars for the crime they didn't commit.
Now, Netflix viewers say they have been left sobbing by the series which received critical acclaim and an impressive 96 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
It also became the most-watched series on Netflix in the US every day when it premiered on May 31, 2019, to June that year.
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Taking to Twitter, one fan wrote: "You’ve gotta watch When They See Us on Netflix. It’s an incredibly powerful mini series based on a true story and it has made my heart ache. The casting is phenomenal and the acting has blown me away. please find some time to watch it!"
Others recommended the movie in the Facebook group Netflix Bangers, but warn 'you'll need tissues' if you're settling in to binge watch it.
"Very difficult at times to watch," wrote another. "But... it's perfect."
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Dozens of other fans said it was a 'hard watch' but an 'important' must-see.
"Just finished watching When They See Us and I have to say wow what a good series but man did I cry like a baby. [My] heart breaks for all the men involved," another penned.
The case rocked New York at the time, and when the suspects came to trial a year later, The New York Times reportedly dubbed the attack 'one of the most widely publicized crimes of the 1980s'.
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It wasn't until a decade after the attack that serial rapist Matias Reyes confessed to attacking the woman, resulting in the five innocent men having their convictions suddenly dropped while incarcerated in 2002.
The innocent teens, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, became known later as the Exonerated Five, who are now honored with a plaque in the infamous park.
When they were liberated, the five filed a lawsuit against the city in 2003 for wrongful conviction and were awarded a settlement in 2014. The cast, creator and freed five were also interviewed in a companion special with Oprah Winfrey which viewers also recommend watching afterwards.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org
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