PremiumThe Andy Warhol Diaries review: A close and personal look into the life of a great American artist
The six part docu-series is told with the artist's own words, based on his diaries. The series is as much about love as it is about other parts of his storied life.
Last Updated: 08.18 AM, Mar 11, 2022
Story: The six part mini-series documents the life of Andy Warhol, the king of pop art. Taking us close and personal to his life of art and love, the documentary makes a person out of a figure that is often shown as bigger than life.
Review: There is a popular saying that goes, "never meet your idols". The Andy Warhol Diaries, a six part docu-series on Netflix tries its best to take you as close and personal to the iconic artist and his famed life, and gives us a feeling of having talked to the artist himself.
The series is based on the first-person stories dictated by Warhol himself, over the phone to Pat Hackett from 1976 until Warhol’s death in 1987. With most of it narrated using an AI voice technology in Warhol's voice, the series is able to capture the essence of Warhol the person, rather than Warhol the famed artist. While the decision to narrate the series with an AI was a bold choice, one comes out of the series thinking that's something Warhol would have wanted.
The diaries also capture the most mundane to the most little details of his life, and it comes out as amusing as we are invited to hear the king of pop art talk about little insecurities and pet peeves, very much like a modern day celebrity. While most other documentaries about Warhol would have rambled about his techniques and brilliance as an artist extraordinaire, director Andrew Rossi clearly goes in a different direction. The mini series gives a certain life to Warhol, exploring facets of his life that are often not shown to public view, such as his love life.
It wouldn't be a mistake to call the series a romantic tale about a charismatic man who lived most of his life in the public view. There are episodes dedicated to telling Warhol's love stories with Jed Johnson, Jon Gould and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Rossi's choice to explore each of Warhol's relationships and what makes them unique and special on their own, is commentable. From their length to their emotional side, the episodes make Andy Warhol, who can often be seen bigger than life, a lover, a friend and a man who just had his own vision of life.
Andy Warhol Diaries also draws onto the more human and personal side of the artist, and some of his final works and what his inspirations for them were. With each episode either closing in on the hour mark or crossing it, the mini-series might feel like a drag to some. But if you've ever been a fan of his work or are a fan of the man himself, the show will be extremely rewarding. Taking the alien and turning him into a man like any other, at the same time showcasing his extraordinary talent, The Andy Warhol Diaries on Netflix is the closest we've come to the man.
Verdict: The Andy Warhol Diaries takes us close to an artist who was always in the public eye, but takes us closer to Andy Warhol, a man and a lover. Giving great insights into a famed life, the six part mini series is a must watch for his fans.