If Inventing Anna has gotten you hooked, you are not alone. As of late February 2022, the series was Netflix's most-watched English language series in a one-week period, with viewers tuning in for 196 million hours. The Shonda Rhimes series tells the story of Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky), a journalist trying to redeem herself after one mistake almost ended her career. Hanging on to her job by a thread, Vivian investigates the elusive Anna Delvey (Julia Garner), a supposed German heiress. The latter conned her way into the New York social scene and wound up on trial for grand larceny.
Everything Anna Delvey (Sorokin) Has Said About 'Inventing Anna'
Films about investigative journalism are synonymous with award nominations and are known for attracting the biggest stars. Just look at All The President's Men, the 1976 film based on a true story about the journalists who broke The Watergate Scandal to the world that starred Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford and went on to win four Oscars. Today, it is no different with films and television series centered around investigative journalism amongst the most awarded and streamed content out there. We've got plenty of recommendations for great ones once you've wrapped up your Inventing Anna watch.
Spotlight (2015)
Spotlight follows a team of investigative journalists working at The Boston Globe. Known as the 'Spotlight' team, Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James), Walter 'Robby' Robinson (Michael Keaton), and Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) work together to investigate systemic child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.
Written by Tom McCarthy and co-writer Josh Singer, the film stars an all-star cast including Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, and John Slattery. The film is based on articles that uncovered a history of unspeakable crimes, which sent shock waves through the church and ultimately earned the team a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
True Story (2015)
When Michael Finkel (Jonah Hill) is fired from The New York Times for lying in an article, he doesn't think his life can get much worse. That is, until Christian Longo (James Franco), a man suspected of murdering his entire family, steals his identity while on the run from the FBI in Mexico. Once Longo is arrested, and Finkel learns that he has been using his name, Finkel visits Longo in prison.
The two make a deal to help one another. If Finkel teaches him how to write, Longo will tell Finkel his side of the story. True Story is based on the memoir by the same name, written by Michael Finkel himself, and though the film received mixed reviews from audiences and critics, it is a captivating story that will keep you guessing until the end.
Sharp Objects (2018)
Sharp Objects is the HBO miniseries based on Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn's debut novel. Starring Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, and Eliza Scanlen, the eight-part series follows Camille Preaker (Adams), a troubled journalist who returns to her hometown to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. While Camille has the potential to be an incredible journalist, she must first overcome her traumatic past and the demons that still haunt her.
Inventing Anna: 7 Things The Show Changes From The Real Story
Patricia Clarkson won the Golden Globe for Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television for her terrifying portrayal of matriarchal figure Adora Crellin. Sharp Objects was also nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards and was well-received by critics, scoring 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Zodiac (2007)
David Fincher is responsible for directing some of the greatest thrillers of our time, including The Game, Se7en, and Gone Girl. However, Zodiac is arguably the best, receiving widespread critical acclaim for its authenticity and depth. Staring three of Hollywood's finest, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo, Zodiac tells the story of a police inspector, a cartoonist, and an investigative journalist trying to solve the case of the Zodiac killer in the late '60s and early '70s.
Zodiac made it onto almost every Top 10 list and later placed 12th on the BBC's Greatest Films Of The 21st Century list. While the film is based on two books about the Zodiac killer, Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked, director David Fincher, producer Bradley J. Fischer, and writer James Vanderbilt researched the serial killer for over 18 months.
The Tinder Swindler (2022)
The Tinder Swindler is the Netflix documentary film that everyone is talking about. It tells the story of Simon Leviev and how he conned women all over Europe. Using the dating app Tinder to find his victims, Leviev sorted out lonely women looking for love and manipulated them into giving him enormous amounts of money.
This is a wild ride from start to finish, with one of the most exciting aspects of the film being the lengths that the investigative journalists from Verdens Gang, along with three of Leviev's victims, Cecilie, Pernilla Sjöholm, and Ayleen Charlotte, go too to catch him the con artist out.
The Post (2017)
Starring the incomparable Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, and directed by the one and only Steven Spielberg, The Post tells the true story of Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of The Washington Post. This film focuses on her mission to print the Pentagon Papers, and ultimately expose the U.S. government for its part in the Vietnam War. The epic cast includes Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, and Jesse Plemons.
The Post was nominated for six Golden Globes and two Academy Awards, including 'Best Motion Picture of the Year'; however, it lost out to The Shape of Water. Just like pretty much everything else Streep, Hanks, and Spielberg create, the film was highly revered by viewers and critics.
The Hour (2011)
Set in 1956, The Hour is a British drama about a primetime news television program produced by Bel Rowley (Romola Garai), anchored by Hector Madden (Dominic West), and staring up-an-coming, journalist Freddie Lyon (Ben Winshaw). While Bel and Hector work together a little too closely to get the show off the ground, the exceedingly ambitious Freddie Lyon goes on a dangerous mission, investigating the suspicious death of a college professor. The deeper Freddie digs, the more dyer things become as people continue to wind up dead mysteriously.
Over its two-season run, The Hour was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 'Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special'. Unfortunately, the show was not renewed for a third season, as the BBC wanted to make room for new shows.
State Of Play (2009)
State Of Play is a crime thriller that stars an ensemble cast featuring Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, and Robin Wright. The film, based on the British series by the same name, tells of Cal McAffrey (Crowe), a journalist investigating the murder of a U.S. Congressman's (Affleck) assistant. Though it starts as a murder case, McAffrey makes discoveries that could bring down some of the most influential players in Washington.
Crowe is at his best playing Cal McAffrey, a tenacious veteran reporter, while McAdams delivers another sensational performance as an ambitious journalist, just as she did in Spotlight. All in all, State of Play is an enthralling political crime thriller.
Truth Be Told (2019)
In the Apple Tv+ crime series, Truth Be Told, Oscar award-winning Octavia Spencer stars as Poppy, a former journalist whose articles helped put a young man in jail for murder. Years later and beginning to doubt the man's guilt, Poppy, who now hosts a true-crime podcast, reopens her investigation to find out what happened.
With Spencer at the helm, the series features an all-star supporting cast including Aaron Paul, Kate Hudson, Lizzy Caplan, Elizabeth Perkins, and Mekhi Phifer.
The Pelican Brief (1993)
Based on the John Grisham novel by the same name, The Pelican Brief is a gripping crime thriller starring Oscar award winners Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. The story follows law student Darby Shaw (Roberts), whose life is put in danger when a brief she writes about the conspiracy behind the assassination of two Supreme Court justices gets into the hands of the wrong people. Not knowing who she can trust, Darby contacts Gray Grantham (Washington), a journalist from the Washington Herald, to help her get the story out before it is too late.
From the director of All The President's Men, Alan J. Pakula, The Pelican Brief has all the makings of an edge-of-your-seat, brow-sweat-inducing, action-packed, '90s blockbuster and grossed $195.3 million worldwide.
'Inventing Anna' Cast and Character Guide: Who's Who in the Bizarre True-Crime Caper