Based on journalist Jessica Pressler’s article “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People,” Netflix’s newest drama “Inventing Anna” has viewers obsessed with the life of the German heiress whose life is filled with private parties, limitless credit cards, the best champagne and endless luxuries; she couldn’t possibly be a con artist, could she? Released on Feb. 11, the series has gained an immense amount of success, telling the story of the woman who tricked everyone around her, including New York’s elite.
The titular character of “Inventing Anna” is playful, determined, sociable and rich — or so she claims to be. Anna Delvey (Julia Garner), whose real name is Anna Sorokin, is arrested for multiple counts of attempted grand larceny — larceny in the second degree and theft of services. Journalist Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky) is determined to uncover the truth of whether Delvey is truly a socialite with an incredible trust fund, or if she manipulated everyone into thinking she is one. As she chases after the truth, so do many of Delvey’s friends and associates: her lawyer Todd Spodek (Arian Moayed), her friend Neff Davis (Alexis Floyd), her business partner Alan Reed (Anthony Edwards), her victim Rachel Williams (Katie Lowes) and more. But the more she learns about Delvey, the less Kent seems to understand her subject.
As a so-called socialite, Delvey’s wardrobe was bound to be filled with the most chic pieces straight from the runway. Balenciaga, Celine, Chanel and Gucci — you name it, she’s got it. The fashion in “Inventing Anna” was partly what made Garner’s Delvey so convincing as a rich heiress; the girl looked like an exquisite Barbie doll with the amount of beautiful outfits she wore. With Burberry trench coats, Alaïa statement dresses, Birkins and Lady Diors, Delvey mingled with Manhattan’s richest and turned New York into a runway. Even during her trial, she arranged to have her courtroom outfits prepared by a stylist, which drew a great amount of attention both in the show and in real life. The show’s costume design team recreated many of Delvey’s outfits — from her designer looks to her courtroom fashion — and made the character much more believable with her style.
As a show based on real events, “Inventing Anna” follows reality extremely closely. The series includes Delvey’s climb up the social ladder to blend with New York’s richest, and her eventual fall from grace. The journey is exciting, especially when you consider that all of these events happened in real life. Some aspects, however, were dramatized for the sake of the narrative. For example, Kent is an original character, although she is based on Jessica Pressler — the journalist who wrote the story on Delvey in real life. She is assisted by a team of three older writers, who serve mainly as comedic relief. The media visits to the prison were also portrayed to be much better than reality; there would never be coffee served in porcelain cups in real life. These changes are minor and therefore do not detract from the show’s realism.
What does detract, however, is the way that some characters act and how others are portrayed. Kent’s actions violate journalistic ethics at times when she convinces Delvey to go to trial instead of taking the plea deal, and again when she works with Delvey’s lawyer in an attempt to write a better story. Admittedly, this is a flaw of the show that should not be ignored, as it paints journalism in a negative light. In the series, Williams is portrayed as someone who was only attracted to Delvey’s wealth, getting tricked in the process, but still benefiting from what happened by using her friend. However, the real Williams never acted this way. She was a victim of Delvey’s manipulation, yet the show seems to set her up as someone who was equally as bad in an attempt to establish Delvey as the one viewers should root for.
Opinions on “Inventing Anna” seem to be split. On the one hand, it’s widely liked by viewers, holding the number one rank on Netflix’s top ten at the time of its release. On the other hand, it faces some serious problems with critics who are more concerned with its closeness to reality. So what’s the verdict? If you want to delve into the specifics of the ethics surrounding journalism and the portrayal of the case, then you might run into some problems with the show that you won’t quite like. But if you want some casual entertainment about a riveting tale of lies and manipulation, then “Inventing Anna” is the one for you.
Grace Tu is an Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at tug2@uci.edu.