We Were the Lucky Ones

The true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite.

We Were the Lucky Ones (2024) is a American miniseries drama adapted from Georgia Hunter's bestselling novel and broadcast on Hulu. Spanning eight episodes of roughly fifty-five minutes each, it follows the sprawling Kurc family, Polish Jews split apart at the outbreak of World War II. Joey King plays Halina Kurc, whose determination to hold her loved ones together drives the story, with Logan Lerman as Addy Kurc, Lior Ashkenazi as Sol Kurc, and Hadas Yaron as Mila Kurc anchoring the scattered threads. Each episode moves between separate branches of the family as they try to endure ghettos, flight, forged papers and hidden refuge across Europe and beyond, with every storyline pulling toward the hope of reunion. The tone is somber and devastating yet deeply humanising, with moments of tenderness and quiet resilience threaded through the grief. Its mix of historical scale and intimate family portraiture makes it a natural pick for viewers who loved the emotional sweep of Schindler's List, Generation War and Heimat. Fans of holocaust dramas and wartime family sagas will find this one a moving, carefully built epic about love enduring under unimaginable pressure.

Viewers broadly praise the series as a moving, emotionally resonant Holocaust family saga that honors its source novel's true story.

• Generation Warshared holocaust family survival drama with sweeping multi-continent scope
• Heimatshared wartime family saga across European and American settings, emotional epic tone
• Schindler's Listshared holocaust survival narrative anchored in one family's true story

Created by

Erica Lipez

Release Date

2024-03-28

Episode runtime

55 min

Rating

7.7 / 10 (91)

What is We Were the Lucky Ones about?

A Polish Jewish family is scattered across Europe and beyond by World War II as its members struggle to survive and find their way back to one another.

What is We Were the Lucky Ones like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of We Were the Lucky Ones as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is We Were the Lucky Ones violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in We Were the Lucky Ones as moderate.

What did critics think of We Were the Lucky Ones?

Viewers broadly praise the series as a moving, emotionally resonant Holocaust family saga that honors its source novel's true story.

Which shows are like We Were the Lucky Ones?

Shows with a similar feel include Generation War, Heimat, and Schindler's List.

How long is We Were the Lucky Ones?

We Were the Lucky Ones: 1 season, 8 episodes.

Is We Were the Lucky Ones still running?

No, We Were the Lucky Ones has ended.

Where can I watch We Were the Lucky Ones?

In United States, We Were the Lucky Ones streams on Hulu.