We Are Who We Are Premiere Review: A glimpse into HBO’s alluring new series
Navigating the trials and tribulations that come with adolescence is no easy task. Growing up is usually characterized by the struggle to find an identity, tumultuous relationships, and the beauty, ugliness, and confusion that comes between. This journey through youth is the premise of Luca Guadagnino’s (Director of Call Me by Your Name) new HBO miniseries, We Are Who We Are.
In the premiere of the season, we walk alongside 14-year-old Fraser Wilson (IT’s Jack Dylan Grazer) as he is uprooted from New York to begin a new life on a US military base in the seaside town of Chioggia, Italy, where his mother Sarah (Chloë Sevigny) recently became colonel. Trudging along with them is Maggie (Alice Braga), Sarah’s wife. Each mother has a distinctive relationship with Frasher, depicted through moments of openness, frustration, and understanding. We are sure to see these relationship’s blossom further throughout the series.
We follow Frasher as he awkwardly stumbles around the sun-soaked surroundings of his new home, dawning a unique style and an even more unique personality, ranging from erratic and skittish to sporadic and self-assured. Fraser lands far from his mother’s disciplined way of life, sneaking alcohol while exploring the boundaries of the encampment. He manages to find other kids his age that live within the base, becoming immediately fascinated with fellow classmate Caitlin, (newcomer Jordan Kristine Seamón) who returns his gaze for icy-cold glares. Fraser’s fascination with Caitlin is sure to set in motion a collision of the two teens.
There is not much plot to the episode, but rather it falls into a deliberate, slow pace that lets the story unfold. Instead of plowing through material, it intentionally introduces and characterizes the individual’s we see on screen. The distinct score sounds as if it is out of Call Me by Your Name itself, but quickly moves away from this stereotype, offering a more modern and raw narrative on the chaotic nature of puberty.
Sexuality is a prominent theme showcased in the episode. Rather than dive into the dangers of it, as another HBO series Euphoria does, We Are Who We Are revels in the shyness and uncertainty of the mysteries of desire. We are offered a more curious portrayal of sexual awakening with this new series, instead of being plunged into the dangerous world that Euphoria illustrates. We get a glimpse into the queer story line that is to unfold in a few moments of the show, including Fraser’s awe at the male physique when he unknowingly stumbles into a men’s locker room and Caitlin’s secret gender expression at the end of the episode. The episode does well not to outwardly explain these moments, leaving the audience with the natural essence of queerness.
Within an hour, We Are Who We Are gently transports us into a world we will gladly revisit every week. It is available to stream on the HBO app and HBO Max and releases a new episode every Monday.
