The newest thriller anthology series from Amazon Prime Video is set for release April 9 and anticipation for the Lena Waithe executive-produced project is high.
Set in the 1950s, Them will center on a Black family who moves from North Carolina to an all-white neighborhood in Los Angeles during The Great Migration. Opening the trailer with idyllic scenes of the Black family whilst haunting music loops in the background is the sheer signifier that viewers are in for an alarming treat.
In a flash, the dialogue-free teaser quickly morphs the picturesque family’s home into ground zero where malevolent forces from their very neighborhood — and beyond —lurk, taunt and destroy. The trailer for this first season, which is subtitled Covenant, features historical elements of torment for Blacks in America such as burning crosses and even a character from a minstrel show.
The series is the work of breakout creator Little Marvin, who is determined to draw a distinction between horror and terror with the project.
“Terror is something that we’ve all experienced,” Marvin said, per ET. “What terrifies you more: That sound down in the basement that you can’t explain or that neighbor at the end of the block who’s been staring at your house every single day?”
Them stars Deborah Ayorinde and Ashley Thomas as lead characters Lucky and Alfred Emory. Ayorinde is best known for her roles in Luke Cage and Harriet. Thomas, also known as the British rapper Bashy, is notably recognized for his role in Fox’s 24: Legacy and the Netflix series Top Boy. Shahadi Wright Joseph from Us and the 2019 The Lion King Remake stars as Ruby Lee Emory, the couple’s studious 14-year-old daughter. Alison Pill, Melody Hurd and Ryan Kwanten also join the cast.
Check out an exclusive clip from the thriller below.