Throughout much of the 1990s and early 2000s, it was impossible to escape Anna Nicole Smith, the model-turned-reality-TV-star whose image, and pretty much every action, was plastered all over tabloid magazines and channels like the E! Network. Even though many think they know everything there was to know about the former Playboy cover model and pop culture sensation more than a half-decade after her shocking 2007 death, that’s far from the case.
The 2023 Netflix documentary film, Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me, shows a side of the late star that has often been omitted from the history books to paint a more fully-realized picture of the woman who made news wherever she went.
Here are five things to know before you watch the new Netflix title.
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me Chronicles The Life And Death Of The Pop Culture Sensation
If you are looking for a detailed and thoughtful documentary about a young Texas woman’s rise to fame and fortune before it all came crashing down, then Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me will pique your interest. Ursula MacFarlane’s biographical documentary tells the complete story of the Smith’s life, career, and death that gives you a better understanding of the woman behind the pop culture sensation.
The Documentary Combines Archival Footage Of The Late Model And New Interviews With Those Who Knew Her
The documentary features a great deal of interviews with Smith’s friends, family, and even the journalists who knew her well, some of whom shed a great deal of light on her rise to fame in the 1990s. At the same time, the documentary also includes a lot of archival footage of the fallen star in various stages of her life. This old footage of Smith adds another level to the story, and gives everything a more artistic flair, as opposed to a straight-forward biographical documentary.
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me Is Both Intimate And Informative
Like a lot of the great documentaries on Netflix, specifically the eye-opening Pamela: A Love Story, this documentary is both intimate and informative in tone and its approach to the subject matter. The film goes into tremendous detail in covering its subject, so much so that you feel as if you’re not watching a chronicle of a massive celebrity, but that of a friend or family member. And as mentioned above, the archival footage of the late star telling her story in her own words really adds to the intimate nature of Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me.
The Documentary Is Just Under Two Hours Long
You won’t have to dedicate an entire day to watch You Don’t Know Me, as the documentary has a runtime of just under two hours. Though a lot of ground is covered in those two hours, it never feels sluggish or bogged down by one chapter or another.
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me Is Rated TV-MA
Though the documentary doesn’t get as dark as some of the true crime shows on Netflix, the documentary does have a TV-MA rating due to language, and talk of sexual violence and child abuse. There is also nudity throughout the movie, including multiple shots of Smith with no top. No surprise here, but this isn’t something to watch with the kids.
If all of this sounds good to you, then you should totally check out Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me. But, please remember, you’ll need a Netflix subscription to watch one of the most enlightening and personal documentaries on the 2023 movie schedule.
