In Netflix’s ‘Inventing Anna,’ a Fraudster’s Story Comes Into Cluttered Focus

Alci Rengifo

In many ways Anna Sorokin truly defined that popular maxim of “fake it ‘til you make it.” The infamous grifter managed to infiltrate the social circles of some of New York City’s socially elite, before being found out and convicted in 2019 for all the money she managed to loot in the process. What makes Sorokin’s story immensely entertaining and even pleasurable, is how this isn’t a case of the rich eating the rich. Sorokin completely invented her identity as a German heiress in order to gain access to the well-connected and well-heeled. A con artist, she was, but Sorokin also possessed a certain sense of style and attention to detail that helped her pull it off. It’s an Instagram-era type of story so Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” comes as no surprise. The premise of this limited series is precisely the kind of true crime tabloid fodder streamers are producing like mad. Yet it is also a premise that would have worked well as a strong movie, or as a real portrait. Much of the series spends its time pacing around Anna, instead of seeing the world through her eyes.

The series is the creation of Shonda Rhimes, who has also produced the aptly-named “Scandal” and the saucy Netflix hit “Bridgerton.” Her take on the Anna Sorokin story is almost a melodrama ensemble. Sorokin is played by Julia Garner and we first meet her as she’s already being led away to jail in handcuffs. Her story instantly grabs the attention of Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky), a fictional take on Jessica Pressler, who profiled Sorokin for New York Magazine. A pregnant Kent has to fight with her editors to cover the story. They prefer she cover some vague #MeToo idea about women in Wall Street. Undeterred, Kent visits Anna in jail, coming face-to-face with a rather scrappily refined young woman who won’t hesitate to critique what you’re wearing. Vivian begins building an idea of Anna’s journey by getting to know key players in her saga, from her entrepreneur lover, Chase (Saamer Usmani), to disgruntled socialites. The picture that begins to form is of a somewhat driven, yet cunning and entitled young person who reinvented herself as Anna Delvey, and formulated grandiose ideas that excited others to invest in them. She always explains away her supposed wealth by claiming to have an inaccessible trust fund and a powerful father who picks up her tabs. It’s all just a series of small-level scams, and the hope of one big hustle to create an elevated Soho House-type concept and cement her place among the New York City’s socially elite.

A subject like Anna Sorokin may be a natural choice for a drama but success depends on execution. Julia Garner, famous for her role as the scrappy money launderer in “Ozark,” is a perfect choice to play Anna. She portrays her with an intimidating combination of sass and ambition. She’s so entertaining it’s annoyingly jarring when the show keeps cutting back to Kent arguing with her editors and dealing with a husband who doesn’t get why she’s so committed to this story. We also get detours to some needless scenes involving Anna’s lawyer, Todd (Arian Moayed), who is grappling with how he feels about his client. The much more entertaining moments of “Inventing Anna” are the scenes where she convinces people, like patron Nora (Kate Burton), to support her claims about wanting to start an arts foundation. It all functions like a darkly comic chain where Anna confidently presents herself to someone well-connected who then introduces her to more important figures. Anna isn’t an example of succeeding by being yourself, but in knowing precisely how to present an image to particular targets. She took to the ultimate extreme the practice of flaunting the right clothes or brands to give off a specific image. Her scheme involved using those who actually live more opulent lifestyles to fund her reckless one. (Of course, the series continues to subtly remind the viewer that much of its account is an over-the-top fabrication). After snatching Nora’s credit card information, Anna gleefully uses it to the tune of $400,000 in expenditures. Anna’s excuse is that Nora was using her as a prop anyway by parading her around at dinner parties. The only true friend to Anna seems to be Neff (Alexis Floyd), who works at one of the hotels Anna stayed in for months and treated her to a lot of the (stolen) good life. It’s as if Anna flipped her routine around with Neff, sharing the wealth with her instead of stealing it.

“Inventing Anna” has a brisk pace but can still be taxing at nine episodes that all run at an hour or more. Because her story consists essentially of conning others continuously, the narrative grasps around for any corner where some extra drama could be hiding. Some of the narratives can be morbidly entertaining, like Anna’s relationship with Chase, who is trying to develop an app called “Wake.” Anna is supportive like a tiger mom, but it’s a mask for how she’s also draining his money to sustain the party lifestyle she wants. Eventually the guy skips town and gives her false information about where he’s going. Garner erupts in a scorching meltdown that says all we need to know about Anna. What hurts her isn’t so much that Chase leaves but that now there won’t be an endless cash flow. The fate of his app is itself full of tragic comic irony. Meanwhile, Garner is fantastic at capturing the sheer anxiety of living by deception. When her credit cards get declined from restaurants to high-end hotels, the entrapped grifter somehow finds a way to talk her way around the situation and gets someone else to pay. Anna is not even charming. She maneuvers around town with a rather entitled and vicious temper, which raises few eyebrows in an environment populated by pretentious people.

Aside from the large gallery of personalities, “Inventing Anna” also doesn’t seem to know what to make of Anna herself. One reason the season can feel too long is that the show is rarely about what really makes Anna tick. There are many intriguing and shocking moments about how far someone is willing go to summon the lifestyle they want. Yet Anna remains very much a shallow, although somewhat fascinating, persona, and not person. She’s never given the depth Ryan Murphy finds for the infamous historical figures he brings to life in series like “American Crime Story.” Murphy would also not shy away from clearly finding a way to link this story to biting social commentary. What keeps giving oxygen to a cluttered series is Garner’s snappy performance, which grows more intense as her character races towards a famous downfall. This is a character the series should do justice to by unpacking her better. Such villains don’t need others stealing the spotlight.

“Inventing Anna” begins streaming Feb. 11 on Netflix.