Netflix's three-part documentary series The One About Matthew Perry has climbed to the number one spot on the streaming platform, leaving viewers in tears and struggling to move on from its raw portrayal of the late Friends star.
Released on October 27, near the anniversary of his death, the series takes a deep dive into Perry's life away from the screen, including his struggles with addiction. The star, who became synonymous with Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow, died in 2023 from an accidental overdose.
Viewers share emotional reactions
Taking to X, one person said: "Just finished @netflix 's #TheOneAboutMatthewPerry and it is a hard, heartbreaking watch. The world is a much poorer place without him, that's for sure." Another wrote: "Being a huge #Friends fan and watching the #TheOneAboutMatthewPerry documentary is the saddest docu ever. MP will forever be a legend."
A third echoed: "The fact that Matthew's family saw Monica and Chandler's wedding as the only way they would ever get to see him get married is soo heartbreaking but deeply touching at the same time..like u don't understand." A fourth added: "#TheOneAboutMatthewPerry was a hard watch, i can't stop sobbing he struggled so much, i hope he's in a better place now never take mental health for granted people."
Documentary synopsis and impact
The series, told through intimate testimonies from close family and friends, reveals the real Matthew Perry—generous, funny, vulnerable, larger than life—and the battles he fought to become the man behind the icon. A synopsis reads: "Told through intimate testimonies from close family and friends, this documentary event reveals the real Matthew Perry—generous, funny, vulnerable, larger than life—and the battles he fought to become the man behind the icon. A raw record of a life lived in full, and the honesty that became his greatest legacy."
On TikTok, one viewer admitted those who haven't yet seen the heartbreaking watch need to, saying in a video: "It's absolutely heartbreaking. It's so sad." Another admitted they had been "thinking about it all day" as one person confessed: "I cried my eyes out." A heartbroken viewer echoed that they "couldn't sleep for crying."
The One About Matthew Perry can be streamed on Netflix.
