Amazon Studios(LOS ANGELES) — A new trailer for Them, the new Amazon Prime anthology series from Lena Waithe, has been derided by viewers as a ripoff of Jordan Peele’s films, Get Out and Us.
Amazon’s official synopsis of the film, set in the 1950s, follows a Black family that “moves from North Carolina to an all-white Los Angeles neighborhood during the period known as The Great Migration.” Their “idyllic home becomes ground zero where malevolent forces, next door and otherworldly, threaten to taunt, ravage and destroy them.”
Following a trailer for the show, released on Monday, Twitter users jumped all over the series, writing it off as a knockoff of Peele’s hit films.
“How’d [Waithe] go from a solid film like Queen and Slim…to producing a Jordan Peele knockoff?” one commenter complained. “It’s giving Get Out themes with US’s approach and title.”
“Imagine being Barry Jenkins and Jordan Peele only having two films under your belt but already having all these copy cats wanting what you have,” wrote another.
“This feels like someone whos [sic] never seen a Jordan Peele movie describing what a Jordan Peele movie is like,” shared one.
“Jordan Peele has given us two black horror movies and now they’re copying him already,” still another suggested.
Finally, one Twitter user observed, “they even ripped off the ‘Us’ title and called it ‘THEM.’”
However, some people who have seen the show have a more positive review, like this fan who raved, “This is going to be THE series to watch. I was fortunate to screen during #sxsw and it is. Amazing writing, storytelling and can we get into this talented and beautiful starring cast?”
Them debuts April 9 on Amazon Prime.
By George Costantino
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