Episode Guide
Episode 1- | Review Score – Episode 2- | Review Score – Episode 3- | Review Score – Episode 4- | Review Score – Episode 5- | Review Score – Episode 6- | Review Score – Episode 7- | Review Score – Episode 8- | Review Score – Episode 9
Anna is a bloated, unfocused melodrama that swings between condemning and championing its con-artist protagonist. Although protagonist may be exaggerated here given an equal share of run-time is given to plucky investigator Vivian Kent. The film’s focus is misplaced, as it spends too much time on the Anna character and not enough on the investigative aspects of the story. ..
In spite of its flaws, Inventing Anna is still a watchable show with plenty of style, swagger and hubris that makes it an endearing watch. The tagline flaunts at the start of every episode that “This whole story is completely true, except for the parts that are totally made up.” And to be fair, Inventing Anna does do a decent job of blurring the two together but damn does this show have its moral compass all over the shop.
Anna Sorokin is a con artist who managed to hoodwink Wall Street and various “friends” into forking out hundreds of thousands of dollars. She cashed in fraudulent cheques, left some people in eye-watering amounts of debt and established herself as a rich heiress under the pretense of a €60 million trust fund courtesy of Daddy, stored in Swiss bank accounts. Sorokin is currently on the run after being caught by Swiss authorities with over $200,000 cash and over $1 million in assets.
Anna is a complex character, and her story is not simply one of good versus evil. She is a product of her environment, and the people around her. Inventing Anna allows us to see her as more than just a victim; as someone who has fought back against those who would do her harm.
In episode 6, Anna was heartless, cold, and opportunistic. She easily threw anyone under the bus, even if it was one of her closest friends. Unfortunately, this tonal whiplash consumes so much of this show that you never quite know what to make of Anna by the time the credits roll. ..
The show’s main focus has been Anna so far, but it feels like the whole endeavor is a waste of time given that she’s still an enigma at the end of episode 9’s almost hour and a half finale.
Vivian Kent is a plucky reporter that’s tarnished by a case-gone-wrong in the past. She’s desperate to claw her way back up to the top and after bemoaning “pointless” (her words, not mine) articles on the MeToo movement and workplace culture, she turns her attention to Anna Delvey instead.
Vivian is determined to get to the bottom of her story and figure out what drove her to defraud banks, friends and acquaintances. All whilst using this as the golden ticket to make it back into the big-time.
The show follows Vivian as she moves around the city, piecing together Anna’s life and career. We see multiple perspectives of Anna, with different events happening in between. However, some scenes are contradicted by Anna’s own version, which makes for a confusing and unpredictable experience.
Inventing Anna constantly tries to keep you on the fence about liking and disliking Anna. Ironically, though, you’ll find all of those negative emotions and frustrations directed at Vivian. ..
Vivian is pregnant and is not happy about it. She constantly sees motherhood as this doom-and-gloom apocalyptic outcome, typified by an argument she has with her partner Jack about the nursery. ..
In episode 8, Jack is left twiddling his thumbs as she fails to show up for scans. This paints her in a very unfavourable light and it’s not helped by the urgency around her case in the past. It’s distracting and when it is finally resolved it’s done so with little fanfare. In essence, it’s a narrative shrug of the shoulders. ..
Inventing Anna is one of those shows that tries to be more sophisticated and suave than it actually is. Unlike Anna Delvey, who looks and sounds the part, Inventing Anna tries to come at its subject matter with depth and a dark lens akin to The Queen’s Gambit but stumbles into the simplicity of Emily In Paris. ..
This show is neither good nor bad, but it falls into the category of basic. It’s worth a watch, but don’t expect too much. ..
