There was a movie about Matthew Perry without the stars of Friends. What critics say
Netflix has released a three-part documentary about Friends star Matthew Perry. His family for the first time shared personal memories of the actor. What new became known about his life and how the picture was appreciated by critics
On October 27, a three-part documentary project “The One About Matthew Perry” was released on Netflix, dedicated to the actor who played Chandler Bing in the series “Friends”. The release was timed to coincide with the third anniversary of his death - Perry died on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54. An autopsy found the cause of death was "acute ketamine exposure.".
Early reviews were overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising Perry's family's candor, although some found the three-hour film lengthy.
What's New About Perry's Life
The three episodes cover the entire life of the actor - from childhood and the first attempts to build a career in Hollywood to worldwide popularity after the release of Friends, a long struggle with addiction and death.
The project is based on previously unpublished photos and videos from the family archive, as well as interviews with people who knew Perry long before his fame.
The creators paid special attention to the actor’s relationship with family and friends. One of the main characters was the sister of the actor Mia Perry Bowick, who first spoke publicly about her brother. She is 14 years younger than Perry and grew up with him when he became a famous actor. Her brother's long struggle with addiction influenced her decision to become a therapist. Mia recalls learning about Perry's first year of rehabilitation from a tabloid headline and also recounts the day he died.
The film also features his friends, former lovers. Special attention is paid to people with whom Perry became close due to the struggle with addiction. Among them are Tim Harrington, who met the actor during rehabilitation and subsequently lived with him for about a year, and West Huddleston, who collaborated with Perry on projects to help people with addiction.
Director Mary Robertson told The New York Times that Perry's Friends colleagues - Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer - declined to participate. Variety is ambiguous about the composition. Apart from the Friends cast, Perry's other prominent colleagues did not give interviews. According to the observer, the absence of stars can be regarded as a lack of access to the environment of the actor. However, it is thanks to this that the film turned out to be more personal - the closest ones help to reveal the story of his struggle with addiction.
As The Hollywood Reporter points out, the film does not offer sensational insights into Perry himself. His main value is the testimonies of loved ones who have walked alongside him.
Why critics praised the film
The Guardian's Lucy Mangan, who rated the film 4 out of 5, called the work "unexpectedly candid, thoughtful, truly intimate." She notes that everyone close to Perry speaks of the actor with love and despair, that the film becomes a tribute to the thousands of dependent families, “whose stories do not make international headlines.”.
Variety also described the series as “a tragic and sad portrait of addiction.”.
Daniel Finberg, critic of The Hollywood Reporter, stresses that the film is not about Perry at all, but this was not a drawback. The One About Matthew Perry is a sincere exploration of addiction and fame. “Watching this is hard and listening is painful, but Robertson subtly and heartfeltly reveals the key points of the documentary,” he said.
Why the documentary is criticized
In The Hollywood Reporter, critic Daniel Finberg called the series sincere and personal, but unnecessarily stretched. In his opinion, the material could fit into one full-length film. The reviewer believes that the creators spend too much time already known events.
“Three hours is certainly a long time to tell a sad but very simple story, and there are no doubt small cuts to be made, but the film does not get bored due to the quality of interviews and interviewees,” said Lucy Mangan, a columnist for The Guardian.
Vatiety notes that duration, by contrast, "allows to convey the lingering, intermittent nature of Perry's addiction.".
Observers agree that the film does not so much offer sensational revelations, as it allows you to look at the famous story through the eyes of people who were near Perry.
