We Are Who We Are Part One Early Review

Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name was a compelling coming-of-age adaptation nestled within the beautiful Italian countryside that put Timothée Chalamet on the map while also earning a fair share of Academy Award nominations along the way. After the departure (to say the least) that was 2018’s Suspiria, he is back along those same lines, co-writing and directing the latest HBO and Sky miniseries, We Are Who We Are. That being said, this miniseries certainly does its own thing, still giving us central characters to rally around as they figure themselves out, essentially growing up before our very eyes, over the course of their time in Italy (as the series also methodically peeled back layers off of each character).

At the end of the day, they were still teens and a foreign land wasn’t going to change that but it still put a spin on the themes that many of us are familiar with. We Are Who We Are follows two American teenagers living on an American military base in Italy named Fraser (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Caitlin (Jordan Kristine Seamón). While Fraser was uprooted from his normal life in New York City after his mother Sarah (Chloë Sevigny) was promoted to commander of the base, Caitlin, Fraser’s neighbor, has carved out a solid life for herself thanks to her group of friends and her parents, Richard (Scott Mescudi) and Jenny (Faith Alabi), for whom they were very close. Suffice it to say that there was an adjustment period for Fraser as he not only had to fight the resentment against his mother for moving but also getting used to his new environment (despite the base’s attempts to look just like the states) as he was still trying to find himself. Meanwhile, Caitlin arguably thought she knew herself but suddenly, with age, things started to change. They simply just found each other at the right time in their lives.

One of the best parts of We Are Who We Are was watching Fraser, Caitlin, and their relationship evolve. That’s not to say that it wasn’t without its share of frustrating moments. Most of them revolve around the character of Fraser who is likely to rub some people the wrong way with some of his actions, behavior, and attitude but all these feelings clearly comes from place of deep-seeded pain. The Caitlin side of the equation saw her start to drift apart from her circle of friends and her father as she grew closer to Fraser, blossoming into a young woman while still holding on to her girlhood (being pulled in either direction), feeling empowered to be more adventurous both personally and romantically. In the end, there was just something about the way they saw each other and it was that connection that drew them together. Maybe they were just the answer for the other’s issues as Fraser longed for connection and Caitlin needed someone outside of her familiar circles.

Along those lines, Fraser’s introduction into the dynamic was also a disruptor among Caitlin’s friends and her brother Danny (Spence Moore II) as they all noticed their budding relationship. The summer was ripe for plenty of drama and excess as the series focuses on the teen living in the moment, breaking the rules, and having a blast in a foreign land more accommodating to that kind of behavior. Meanwhile, underneath all that excess was a surprising amount of depth to the writing as it peels the layers away from these characters in a compelling way. With only the first 4 episodes of the series being sent to critics in advance, there is still plenty more to be explored as the first half leans heavily on Fraser, Caitlin, and company. Where the series falters at least to this point was with the parents whose characterization wasn’t nearly as deep (though that could change).

Technically speaking, We Are Who We Are is impressive, especially the cinematography and the soundtrack. Just like Call Me By Your Name did, this series showed off the beauty that Italy had to offer by also making it into another character in the story, this time taking the action from the countryside and mostly moving it into the city, showing off the architecture and culture. The beaches will surely have viewers longing for a time that once was. The camerawork also subtly highlighted the perspectives of Fraser and Caitlin, showing scenes from each of their points of view. Along those lines, the soundtrack would followed that lead as each character was given a different soundtrack to emphasize those different point of view. The inventive graphics that bookended the episodes were also a nice touch.

The performances of We Are Who We Are were quality across the board but we have only scratched the surface. Grazer and Seamón as Fraser and Caitlin are well worth the price of admission alone. While they were not only compelling to watch together and apart, their understated performances provide just enough to pull viewers in and connect with them on an emotional level. Ultimately, the series will only go as far as they do so those who cannot connect with these characters, perhaps Fraser more so than Caitlin, everything else essentially doesn’t matter. Meanwhile, Sevigny as Sarah, Alice Braga as Sarah’s wife Maggie, Mescudi as Richard, and Alabi as Jenny were solid despite their characters being an afterthought in the first half (though lets reserve judgement until later).

At the end of the day, when it comes to We Are Who We Are, it is a beautiful series and while the pieces were definitely there, leading to some compelling moments but at this point, they haven’t quite come together. Just to be fair, we will update this review and provide a score once the entirety of the series airs.

still courtesy of HBO

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.