Photo by Gian Cescon on Unsplash

Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix rule continues with a brand new series. Inventing Anna on Netflix is an original limited series that is compelling and innovative. And absolutely addictive! The series is almost a genre mashup of the journalist exposing a true story trope, along with the long con story archetype. All the while still adding to a new genre of obsessive and binge-worthy television. Shonda Rhimes’ Inventing Anna features a riveting idea, star-making performances and a suspenseful story that is bizarre and difficult to stay away from. Read on for my spoiler-free Inventing Anna review

Shonda Rhimes’ Inventing Anna Is My New Obsession

Some of the most compelling TV or movies are ones ‘based on a true story’. Especially when the narrative is framed around a journalist discovering the story, like the Academy award-winning Spotlight or Zodiac. Then there’s the fun and exciting con-movies like Matchstick Men or the Oceans’ Eleven franchise. 

So when Shonda takes both those ideas to create an interesting new show, all eyes on her! I’ll confess; Rhimes’ content usually isn’t my jam. But Inventing Anna on Netflix is something I’m absolutely enamoured with! The performances, and the structure of the writing of the show around a creative mystery and suspense, is wildly obsessive. 

Anna Delvey Is All Kinds Of A Mess, And I Love It!

Shonda Rhime’s Inventing Anna is all about Anna Delvey (Julia Garner). The show opens with Anna arrested and charged with multiple counts of fraud. Allegedly, Anna stole from and defrauded society’s rich and famous. Along with Finance companies, Hotels and other high powered individuals. It’s a little nuts. But she apparently did it all while being one of them, a self-proclaimed German Heiress. Her arrest catches the eye of a journalist with something to prove, Vivian Kent (Amy Chlumsky). After relentlessly pursuing the opportunity to tell Anna’s story, Vivian gets her chance. But the rabbit hole she goes down is not what she, or us as the audience, could ever have been ready for.

And this is where Inventing Anna on Netflix is different from those other genres I mentioned earlier; it subverts expectations, flips the script on its head and is shockingly interesting. Who Anna is, is the driving force behind the story. And despite the more answers Vivian and the audience gets, the more confusing and off the wall things get. It’s an outrageous story that defies any suspension of disbelief; but also is one of the most entertaining things I’ve seen in a while. 

This Inventing Anna Review Is Totally Spoiler-Free

While my Inventing Anna review is spoiler-free, I can see that I am loving everything that Garner does in this series. She plays Anna as manipulative, genuine, passionate, creepy and just downright scary at times. Garner displays incredible range in a performance that is sure to be in the Emmy’s conversation for 2022. Complimenting her perfectly is Chlumsky as the hungry journalist after Anna’s story. Chlumsky basically plays a more practical and less bonkers version of her character from Veep. But her neurotics here are more for the dramatic than the shock and awe comedy. 

Inventing Anna is one of the best new series of 2022. It’s a grimy and uncomfortable con-story that keeps you guessing until the end. The ideas around truth and personal perspective is a core concept of the show. Not to mention that there’s something about seeing a strong independent young woman get everything she wants through sheer determination— that makes Anna a compelling and fascinating character. 

Inventing Anna begins streaming on Netflix on February 11, 2022. 

Let us know in the comments what you think about this brand new Netflix original series. 

Featured image via Netflix.