Netflix’s Inventing Anna is completely captivating right from the start, and despite its flaws, is one of the best binges out there.
Inventing Anna is one of those shows that is going to hook most viewers right from the start. For those that aren’t immediately sucked in to all the drama and mystery, I suggest giving it at least two episodes before deciding to bail. There is a lot of interesting twists and turns, and this show will leave you wondering what is real and what isn’t until the very end.
Full disclosure though, these episodes are LONG. They range from one hour, to nearly one and a half hours each. This limited series is a commitment, but one that is well worth all of your time. Inventing Anna might not be a quick binge, but it is one that is worth every single second.
Inventing Anna follows the story of a young socialite named Anna Delvey who is arrested on multiple counts of fraud and larceny. Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky), a female journalist who is striving to get her reputation back after an incident, feels that Anna’s story is just the piece to do that. She interviews friends, colleagues, and pretty much anyone and everyone who has crossed paths with Anna — even Anna herself.
As the episodes play out, the story changes and evolves. It is pretty much constantly shifting, as Vivian uncovers more and more secrets. No one can tell for sure where Anna came from, if she even has any money, who her family is, and whether she is for real, or a hustler. There are conflicting stories about her no matter who Vivian speaks with , which keeps the viewers in the dark about the truth as well.
Anna is certainly an interesting character, and Julia Garner portrays her perfectly. Depending on the story being told, she looks and acts slightly different, even with differing mannerisms — an impressive feat for the actress and one that helps make it all so much more believable, and confusing.
Anna is not a nice person. At times she is rude, stubborn, and manipulative. The longer the series goes on, the more viewers will start to dislike, and perhaps even hate, Anna.
The biggest flaw of this show is that Anna’s accent is annoying and distracting. I understand that the point is we aren’t sure exactly where she comes from, and it does get less annoying over time, but it is completely jarring when watching the first couple of episodes. Unfortunately there are several moments where it pulled me out of the series — it is that bad.
Another issue with this show is that the episodes are a bit on the long side. Each one pushes past the hour long mark. While this is great for character and story development, it feels a bit excessive. I would have much preferred the episodes to stick to sixty minutes each, and I don’t think I will be alone in that.
There is enough material here that goes on too long, or could have been edited down. And if they didn’t want to do this? An extra episode would have worked too, rounding it out to ten.
Related: Netflix’s In From The Cold Review
Vivian is likeable enough as a character, but over the course of the series she does start to get grating. She is pregnant and about to have her first baby, but she is so obsessed with correcting the course of her career that she seems more annoyed and angry about having a child than anything else. As a parent myself, this hit me in the gut a little bit.
The more she complains about how time is running out before she gives birth, and how inconvenient the timing is, the more I found myself starting to feel less connected to her. And her poor husband, he is completely pushed to the side, and it is clear he feels the same way I do about how she speaks about their unborn child.
That said, Inventing Anna is a juicy, messy, series that is jam packed with drama, betrayal, manipulation, twists, turns, and surprises. If you can get past the accent, and I hope that you really try, it is going to be well worth it.
If you know nothing of the real life story, wait to dive into it until after watching this Netflix series so that all of the twists and turns are kept as surprises.
Inventing Anna is one of those shows that will have many viewers creating their own timelines and taking notes — doing everything they can to piece it all together and discover exactly who Anna Delvey is before the show reveals it to us. There is no doubt that this is a Shondaland show, perfectly sitting in the dramatic and mysterious wheelhouse from Shonda Rimes we all know and love.
A juicy, messy, series that is jam packed with drama, betrayal, manipulation, twists, turns, and surprises.
Rating: 4 out of 5
About Inventing Anna
In Inventing Anna, a journalist with a lot to prove investigates the case of Anna Delvey, the Instagram-legendary German heiress who stole the hearts of New York’s social scene – and stole their money as well. But is Anna New York’s biggest con woman, or is she simply the new portrait of the American dream? Anna and the reporter form a dark, funny, love-hate bond as Anna awaits trial and our reporter fights the clock to answer the biggest question in NYC: who is Anna Delvey?
The series is inspired by the New York Magazine article “How an Aspiring ‘It’ Girl Tricked New York’s Party People — and its Banks” by Jessica Pressler, who also serves as a producer.
Inventing Anna hits Netflix on February 11, 2022.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.