On Feb. 11, Netflix released their new limited series, Inventing Anna, starring Julia Garner.  The show is based on the article written by Jessica Pressler and the story of Anna Sorokin, who scammed her way to the most elite social groups of New York City from 2013 to 2017.  The real Sorokin was found guilty of theft of services and grand larceny, earning herself four to 12 12 years in prison.  Currently, she is being detained at an ICE detention facility, where she will most likely be deported to Germany (She was actually deported this week, so we should update this). 

“I remember seeing and hearing things about Anna Sorokin and her story a few years ago, so when I heard that Netflix was making a show about her, I was super excited.  Overall, I really enjoyed the show and the way it depicted Anna’s story. ” said freshman Kaitlyn Schechter. 

Inventing Anna is based on true events; however, parts of the show are fictional.  Journalist Vivian Kent is trying to write an article about Anna Delvey (Sorokin)because she believes that others who have written about her are painting a false picture.  Through multiple interviews with Anna and her friends, she finds out more and more of Anna’s true identity.  She was a fake German heiress who was able to scam hundreds of thousands of dollars out of some of New York City’s most elite hotels, banks, businesses, and people.  The show shifts back and forth between the presentand the past, when Anna was working her way into the most elite social groups of New York City, which reveals even more about Anna’s abilities. 

“After watching Inventing Anna, I was blown away by how she was able to con everyone.  Her ability to manipulate the people around her is incredible and a little frightening,” said freshman Zoe Lucas.

A majority of the characters in Inventing Anna are real, but some of them have new names or are made up to add more drama to the show.  Julia Garner plays the lead role as Anna Delvey.  Garner met the real Anna while she was in prison.  Anna remarks that she was a sweet girl, but it was weird to hear somebody else imitate her accent.  Other important characters, such as Vivan Kent, the journalist, is played by Anna Chlumsky.  Neff, Rachel, and Kacy Duke, Anna’s best friends, are played by Alexis Floyd, Katie Lowes, and Laverne Cox respectively.  Because this show was produced by Shondaland, there are a few actors from other shows by Shonda Rhimes, such as Grey’s Anatomy, who also appear in Inventing Anna. 

“Shonda Rhimes has produced some of my favorite shows.  I love how she told Anna’s story and brought it to life, and seeing some actors from some of her other shows was a nice surprise,” said freshman Ryann Engel.

Since being released, Inventing Anna has been in Netflix’s top 10.  Although this show has had over a billion minutes of viewing, some critics feel that the show was a bit of a let-down.  Inventing Anna received a mere 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 2.8 stars.

“Inventing Anna is a long, pokey road trip with no G.P.S. All of Pressler’s most colorful anecdotes and appalling details have been squeezed in, sometimes tweaked to fit better within what is now a fictional narrative.  But the thrill is gone,” said television critic Mike Hale in The New York Times. 

On Mar. 11, Anna Sorokin was interviewed by Spoitfy’s podcast Forbidden Fruits, from the Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen.  Anna spoke about her opinions and thoughts about Inventing Anna, and answered some questions concerning her actions.  

“I just wanted to be able to build something out of nothing.  I just wanted my own thing and I want to be in control.  And I just wanted to tell people what to do.  It’s such a different dynamic to be paid and to pay people,” said Anna Sorokin. 

Inventing Anna is a limited series Netflix original, so it can be accessed through a Netflix subscription.