Netflix has just released its limited series called Inventing Anna – and it appears to be a hit among viewers whose appetite for real-life scam stories seems to have been awakened by Tindler Swindler, another Netflix big hitter.
Anna, just like Simon – the scammer in Tindler Swindler – uses people in order to live lavishly.
Unlike Simon though, Anna’s main goal was to start her own business.
Many of us dream of living the high life and visiting lavish hotels and restaurants that are completely out of our reach. Over time, many people have proved that they are not willing to sit and wait for life to happen so they go out and make it happen – at any cost.
The story of Anna Delvey or rather Anna Sorokin is just one of endless examples of how far people are willing to go to live the high life.
On 11 February, Netflix aired the first episode of the nine-episode limited series that follows the rise and fall of a young Russian-born German woman who pretended to be a German heiress in order to mingle with the rich and famous and swindle them out of money.
Not only did she rob hotels, restaurants and her friends out of their money – which was used on vacations and fancy hotel stays – she even stole a jet, and brought it back of course.
Anna, who was convicted and jailed in 2019 and then released in January of 2021, mainly wanted to open an art business in New York. But her plans fell through when she couldn’t prove that she was an actual heiress.
Playing the part
Anna’s character was brought to life in the Shonda Rhimes-produced series, by actress Julia Garner, while Anna Chlumsky played Jessica Pressler, the journalist who first broke the true story in 2017.
The series has once again shot Anna Sorokin into the spotlight as many discuss the series and how she was portrayed by Garner who visited her in prison while preparing for the TV role.
While it does get a little confusing because the series is split between Anna’s life story, the journalist who is struggling to pull the story together, and the lives of those she affected – it is quite interesting to watch and helps viewers and those who followed the case, get a piece of perspective of what went on inside Anna’s mind as she lived the high life on other people’s budget.
The series has received mixed reactions from people who thought the real Anna didn’t come through in the show. Others criticised the actors and actresses but not everyone hated it.
A lot of people loved watching how Anna was able to live the American dream while having had almost no money.
The show reminded many people of other viral scam stories such as Billy McFarland’s famous Fyre Festival flop which Netflix also turned into a mind-blowing watch.