There are some things that they love though: their father and his military ways, and soon, the new boy in town who cares just as little about social conventions as they do. Their blasé attitude lands them with a boyfriend who likes “their” more than they like him, and friends who care about petty drama more than they ever could. The (arguably) trans teen in question is Caitlin, (Jordan Kristine Seamón), a “girl” with long hair and a go with the flow personality that works against them more often than not. For example, the story is set in 2016 and both of the main teenagers use keypad phones. It was immediately clear by episode 1 that the show is intended to be an exploration of gender and sexuality through a Gen Z lens, with the conclusion being “we are who we are.” While it was excellent in its portrayals of the ways which we express and repress ourselves in the presence and absence of the people we love, there were moments both in the show and behind the scenes that almost felt like they undermined the particular brand of queerness at the center of itself, an experience profoundly different than Guadagnino’s as a cis Gen. We Are Who We Are aired every Monday from September to November of 2020, along with behind-the-scenes/sit-down chats with Guadagnino and the actors segment for every episode. So knowing his newest project centered on trans experiences, which are notably misrepresented in media (if represented at all), made it worth watching, while simultaneously keeping a critical eye open. In a much more subdued tone and color palette than Michaela Coel’s series, a Black teenager is shown going through the motions of shaving their bare face and cutting off their hair as they proclaim, “I’m ready” as a blonde Jack Dylan Grazer tells their “No, you’re not,” and “None of the stuff you’re thinking means anything anyway.” That, sandwiched between shots of Grazer staring longingly at men way too old for him, didn't say much other than that this miniseries from Luca Guadagnino would be a queer coming of age, similar to his critically acclaimed film Call Me By Your Name (2017), which has been widely criticized for depicting a problematic gay relationship. This is likely why when the surreal I May Destroy You came to an end in the summer, the first trailer of We Are Who We Are aired.

Enjoy! - The Film Daze TeamĪpparently, HBO’s method of preventing subscription cancellation is to start promoting their brand new fall shows during the final episodes of their summer shows.

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We are who we are episode 1