Can a television show capture the visceral, messy reality of being a modern teenager?
In short: Luca Guadagnino’s 2020 miniseries We Are Who We Are explores the turbulent transition to adulthood for two American youths living on a military installation in Italy. By focusing on identity, friendship, and first love, the show attempts to mirror the intense, often unsettling nature of the teenage experience in 2016.
The series centers on fourteen-year-olds Fraser Wilson and Caitlin Poythress, who navigate life within a fictional United States military compound in Chioggia. Fraser, a transplant from New York, and Caitlin, who grapples with her gender identity, anchor a narrative that examines the fluidity of morality and selfhood. Set against the backdrop of the 2016 American presidential election, the story emphasizes that nothing is static, with characters constantly shifting their perspectives much like the coastal tides of their surroundings.
Production of the eight-episode project faced significant hurdles. Initially, the United States Department of Defense offered support and access to the Vicenza military complex, but later withdrew all cooperation—reportedly because the officials had not reviewed the script. Consequently, the production team constructed a set at a former Italian Air Force base in Bagnoli di Sopra, which had previously served as a logistics site for Nike Hercules missiles. This creative pivot allowed the show to maintain its specific aesthetic vision.
Upon its release in September 2020, the series earned critical acclaim for its poetic, detail-oriented storytelling. Reviewers noted that while the show prioritizes atmosphere and mood, it succeeds in creating an immersive, if occasionally unsettling, portrait of adolescence. With a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 77, the show is widely regarded as a successful transition for Guadagnino from film to television, even if some critics found the pacing monotonous compared to similar genre entries.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: We Are Who We Are
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