This Netflix documentary, intended to reveal details about a prominent figure from the nineties and early two thousands, recounts familiar ground—material I, someone who isn't a fan, have already encountered. It’s essentially “The E! True Hollywood Story,” but with more explicit content. Vickie Lynn Marshall, born in 1967 in Mexia, Texas (which the film portrays as a particularly bleak place), was an attractive child who quickly drew attention. She married young, had a child, and escaped from an abusive home to work as a dancer in Houston strip clubs. There, she met another dancer who became her lover, prompting her to change her name to Nikki. Photos of Smith (her married name) appeared in Playboy and Guess Jeans, launching her modeling career. Now known as Anna Nicole Smith, she arrived in Los Angeles, securing modeling jobs and occasional film roles—she was reportedly offered only $50,000 to appear in "The Mask"—and gaining notoriety for seemingly doing very little. Privately, she was involved with an oil billionaire sixty years her senior, eventually marrying him. Drug use entered Smith’s life as pain medication following breast augmentation surgery. Her son, Daniel, witnessed her relationship with both the billionaire J. Howard Marshall and her stripper friend before her life began to unravel—events captured by persistent paparazzi and later documented in her own controversial “reality” show. She died shortly after giving birth to a daughter in 2007, but her story continued to generate tabloid headlines even after her death. One significant shortcoming of the documentary is its brevity; it feels too short. Considering the extensive six-hour series dedicated to serial killers and their audio recordings, less than two hours felt inadequate for someone who was constantly in the public eye for fifteen years. The filmmakers were unable to secure certain key interviews, relegating Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead to brief appearances in archival footage. Despite some talking heads, Smith remains an enigma, surrounded by people who enabled her behavior. A deeper exploration of her relationship with Marshall is glossed over, as is a scene showing Smith presenting him with a large, inappropriate semi-nude photo while her young son stood nearby. Was Smith a compulsive liar, innocent victim, or narcissist? The filmmakers don’t know—and neither do I. Instead, the documentary includes seemingly out-of-place footage of Brian Williams criticizing media coverage of Smith's death before transitioning to clips from other news outlets. It's a precarious balancing act between providing what audiences want and overwhelming them with exposure. We moved past obsessing over Paris Hilton, yet she continues to seek attention. Has anything truly changed? A recent article on Fox News about Demi Lovato’s struggles with pronouns exemplifies this. How much time has been wasted watching Smith's show or news stories about her daughter's paternity, or the Supreme Court case concerning her husband’s estate? Hopefully, after watching this documentary—like me—viewers will find a book and move on. I never watched her “reality” show or followed her closely in the news. I don’t dislike her; it seems tragic that someone would endure so much to achieve wealth and fame only to have that same notoriety destroy their life, along with those around them. This isn't meant as a warning, because few celebrities today are taking heed and leading satisfying lives. My hope is that her daughter is being raised in a stable environment, and everyone affected by the whirlwind existence of Anna Nicole Smith has found peace—including the documentary’s producers.

Source on TMDB