The One About Matthew Perry Review
Director: Mary Robertson
Date Created: 2026-10-27 16:36
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The One About Matthew Perry Review: Directed by Mary Robertson, Netflix’s three-part documentary series revisits the life, career, addiction struggles, and tragic death of the actor who became a household name as Chandler Bing in Friends. Featuring conversations with his younger sister Mia Perry Bowick, longtime friends, former partners, and people who crossed paths with him throughout his life, the documentary takes a more personal approach than a conventional celebrity tribute.
The One About Matthew Perry Review
It is hard to watch a documentary about somebody who has done so much to make millions of people happy throughout their lifetime. Matthew Perry was one of those actors who could lighten up the atmosphere just by being present on screen. As Chandler Bing, he took the awkwardness and sarcasm and made it humorous and adorable while at the same time showing some emotional vulnerability. It becomes quite clear, even when watching his past performances, how easy it is to forget about the problems that he was dealing with as an actor and a person, which goes to show the essence of the Netflix docuseries The One About Matthew Perry.
Netflix’s The One About Matthew Perry documentary covers Perry’s entire journey, from his childhood dreams to how far he has reached in Hollywood. The movie includes how successful Friends is and the personal struggles he went through even when he was achieving success professionally. The addiction problem was never an occurrence in Perry’s life after becoming famous; it occurred through various phases of his life and affected his work and people close to him who were trying to help him. The show looks back at all the struggles of Perry through media clips and interviews in the show.
What adds value to this show is the fact that it does not limit Perry’s life to that of a gifted performer whose struggle with addiction was futile. Life for this individual was a lot more complex than that. He spent many years in his attempts to regain his health by battling a disease that money and success could not cure.
Moreover, he wished to be more than just an addict who needs help. He wished to act, to write, to form strong relationships, and to give something valuable to the world. Helping other addicts was one of his ways to do so. The inclusion of his young sister, Mia Perry Bowick, in the documentary was very impactful for me.
This is due to the unique pain that her story conveys since she is not discussing some idol whom she adored from afar but rather is mourning her brother. She is speaking of her own family member whose whole life she knew and whom the general audience could never really know. The pain that she felt upon realising her brother’s previous recovery due to some newspaper and then hearing that he had passed away is a perfect demonstration of how differently one can perceive the life of a family member than the rest of the world. Another aspect which makes her story important is her emotional complexity. Loving an addict does not mean forgetting all the bad memories.
The testimony from those who have known Perry since long ago and were there when he went through the recovery process has made the documentary a much more personal one too. This is not about the typical Hollywood stars giving their appreciation to their fellow star. Rather, these are people with their own memories, tough questions, and experiences that cannot be easily addressed through recalling the success of this person. It shows how different the real personality of Matthew Perry is from the public figure that was known to everyone else.
His death in October 2023, at 54 years of age, adds a very real sense of tragedy to the whole series. Although the documentary touches on the causes behind his death, in particular the ketamine discovery and drowning, more moving parts of the documentary come from reflecting on the life lived before the inevitable end. Perry’s life is not just the tragic way in which it ended. Perry’s life is about all the struggle to live a different life that came before, all the relationships that he found himself struggling to maintain, and all the help that he gave out to others struggling with similar issues.
Nevertheless, it can be stated that I feel the need for better editing of The One About Matthew Perry docuseries. In its three parts, some of the well-known facts concerning the career of David Perry and the success of Friends seem to lack some level of insight as compared to the stories around them. It is obvious that there are reasons why such facts are mentioned so often, but they sometimes distract viewers from those more insightful stories. I would rather see a bit less of what viewers already know and a bit more of what these people went through.
Another strong point is the inability of The One About Matthew Perry documentary to simplify the memories of Perry. Those people who loved him could remember his kindness and sense of humour, as well as all the pain he caused because of his problems. This honesty adds to the human aspect of the documentary. Addiction destroys not only the life of an addict himself, but also the lives of those who hope that everything will get better someday.
Netflix The One About Matthew Perry Review: Summing Up
Overall, the 2026 docuseries The One About Matthew Perry left me wondering about the big hole he left behind after his death. It is hard not to feel sad about how much he went through when you see it all outside of the comfortable environment of Friends. As I was watching the documentary, I missed the artist himself, realising that he was much more than just the comedian with the great sense of humour we saw on TV.
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