Five reasons 'Them: Season 1' is still essential viewing | The Haunted Column

'Them' (Season 1) isn’t an easy watch. It’s not meant to be. But it’s also not just horror for horror’s sake, it’s a well-crafted, often brutal series that confronts America’s legacy of racism with eerie precision. Created by Little Marvin, 'Them' is set in 1950s Compton and follows the Emory family, who move into an all-white neighbourhood in search of a better life. What they find is a nightmare, not only supernatural, but institutional, interpersonal, and generational.

If you’ve been unsure about diving in, here are five honest reasons to give 'Them' your time.

Horror isn’t always fiction
Much of the fear in 'Them' isn’t about monsters or demons, it’s about neighbours, policies, silence, and rage. The series blends genre elements with very real historical violence, and it doesn’t sanitise the experience. You’re not watching a metaphor for racism, you’re watching racism and horror walk side by side. That’s rare, and it’s intentional.

The performances will stay with you
Deborah Ayorinde gives a performance that doesn’t ask for your sympathy; it demands your attention. As Lucky Emory, she carries trauma, anger, and love in every frame. Ashley Thomas, as her husband Henry, brings quiet devastation to the screen. They’re not characters built for your comfort; they’re people fighting for survival, even when the fight is invisible to everyone around them.

It examines inherited pain with honesty
'Them' doesn’t just ask what trauma does to a person; it asks what it does to a family, and what it leaves behind in its wake. The Emorys are haunted, yes, but not only by ghosts. They’re haunted by the question: what does it take to hold onto your dignity, your sanity, and each other when the world won’t let you breathe?

It implicates the viewe
There’s no “safe” vantage point in 'Them'. The white characters aren’t exaggerated villains, they’re often just... complicit. Ordinary. The series forces you to sit with the discomfort of who allows violence to happen, who watches it unfold, and who looks away. And that makes it more powerful than shock value ever could.

It doesn’t let horror be hollow
There are moments in 'Them' that are hard to watch, some might say too hard. But unlike many horror series that use trauma for cheap thrills, 'Them' uses horror as a language. It’s not comfortable. It’s not perfect. But it’s sincere in its purpose: to reveal how deep violence can hide, and how loudly silence can echo.
The show is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.