Controversial new Netflix ‘Martha’ documentary just crashed the Top 10 — and it's 91% on Rotten Tomatoes

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"Martha" is now streaming on Netflix

Martha Stewart as seen in Netflix's "Martha"
(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix is no stranger to a controversial release. Just a few weeks back, Ryan Murphy's latest drama, "Monsters" earned some serious backlash, and now a new release that's already crashed into the Top 10 (currently at #4) is hitting the headlines.

The project in question is "Martha", a feature-length documentary looking at the life and achievements of businesswoman and "original influencer," Martha Stewart.

What is 'Martha' about?

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"Martha" is a candid Netflix documentary that promises to pull back the curtain one of America's most well-known faces: Martha Stewart.

Directed by R. J. Cutler ("Elton John: Never Too Late", "Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry"), "Martha" is an intimate portrait of the titular entrepreneur, one which makes use of her private archive of never-before-seen footage, diaries, and letters, along with hundreds of hours worth of interviews with both the woman herself and some from her inner circle (though only Martha appears on-screen).

Proclaiming Stewart as 'the original influencer'; the doc traces Martha's continual cultural relevance, from her beginnings as a teen model and her work on Wall Street, her 2004 trial and subsequent incarceration, through to her post-prison resurgence.

How has Martha Stewart reacted to 'Martha'?

A black and white photo of Martha Stewart shared for promotion of Netflix's "Martha"

(Image credit: Martha Stewart/Courte/Netflix)

As it turns out, Stewart isn't too happy with the finished product.

Speaking to the New York Times, Stewart blasted some of the doc as "shocking", in what journalist Brooks Barnes called "roughly 30 almost uninterrupted minutes of sharp critique". Yikes.

Some of her issues include the fact that Cutler "used very little" of the material she gave him access to, how much she hated the final scenes, wherein she was "looking like a lonely old lady walking hunched over in the garden" (Stewart had ruptured her Achilles tendon at the time), and the "lousy" score, specifcally because it doesn't include enough rap music.

Stewart also said it spent too much time on her trial and prison sentence, criticized some of the camera angles, and (among other things), lamented the portrayal of her magazine.

Should you stream 'Martha'?

Martha Stewart pictured next to her magazine for Netflix's "Martha" documentary

(Image credit: Martha Stewart/Courte/Netflix)

Despite all that criticism, "Martha" has earned some solid praise from critics, indicating it's worth checking out if you're interested in learning more about Martha Stewart's life.

At the time of writing, it holds a 91% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes (from a total of 11 reviews) and has generally been praised as worthy viewing.

In their Variety review, Owen Gleiberman praised "Martha" as "compelling," "a splendid documentary" and "a transfixing story."

The Guardian's Adrian Horton gave "Martha" a 3-star rating, calling it "a sharp yet spotty film" and praising Stewart herself as "compelling" and "a fascinating narrator", even if she took issue with some of the storytelling decisions Cutler made in piecing her story together.

Still not sold on "Martha"? Check out our guide to the best Netflix documentaries or our overall round-up of the best Netflix movies for even more streaming recommendations.

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Martin Shore
Martin Shore
Staff Writer, Streaming

Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.