Is ‘Inventing Anna’ Based Upon A Real Story?

(Spoilers from Netflix’s Inventing Anna will be found below.)

Julia Garner’s Ruth Langmore dominates the screen on Ozark in what’s been classified (by the Emmys) as a supporting role, but Garner is leading a new Netflix limited series called Inventing Anna. To say that Garner’s career is on fire is an understatement, and she’s once again (after Dirty John) tacking a dramatized real-life story with this latest project, in which she portrays a faux-German con artist going by the name of Anna Delvey.

How real is Inventing Anna, though Well, it’s a Shondaland series that’s based upon a New York magazine profile called “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People.” As that article reveals (and the Netflix series heavily details), Anna Delvey is actually Anna Sorokin, who posed as an incredibly wealthy heiress/socialite/Instagram star and managed to convince everyone with whom she came into contact. Her propensity for tall tales came naturally for her, and no one seemed immune to her charms.

Soon enough, Anna’s left a wake of immense debt in her wake with many others holding responsibility, and all of this eventually lands her in prison after a dramatic investigation and trial. Mind you, Garner’s performance (and accent) are as electric as one would expect in this show, and although Delvey/Sorokin found her way into ICE custody after leaving prison, her story will impart a number of lasting impressions upon viewers. Further, there’s a lot of reflection to be had about a system that not only allowed but encouraged this mega-grifter to flourish. It’s a wild show and worth catching.

Netflix’s Inventing Anna debuts on February 11, 2022.