“aka Charlie Sheen,” the latest documentary to hit Netflix, has surged to No. 1 on the platform. Shining an unflinching spotlight on one of Hollywood’s most notorious figures, this two-part documentary film explores Sheen's early career through the substance abuse habits, personal battles, and other public fallouts the actor experienced over the years.
While it may seem like just another celebrity tell-all, this one is particularly salacious in what it reveals about the actor and several truths, things he swore "never to tell outside of his therapist". It's also racked up several mixed and negative critic reviews, and is currently sitting at a 57% at Rotten Tomatoes.
It seems a polarizing watch for sure, but Sheen's fans likely expect something like that. Before you dive in, here’s what you should know about "aka Charlie Sheen": what it's about, some of its biggest revelations, and more.
What is 'aka Charlie Sheen' about?
"aka Charlie Sheen" is a cheeky documentary series that chronicles the rise, fall, and reinvention of one of Hollywood’s most infamous stars. It traces Sheen’s trajectory from his early days as a celebrated actor in films like "Platoon" and "Wall Street" to his meteoric success on the sitcom "Two and a Half Men" as well as the subsequent spiral that turned him into a tabloid fixture.
Through interviews with ex-wives Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller, longtime collaborators like Chuck Lorre, close friends like Sean Penn, and even his former drug dealer, the series aims to put together a portrait of who Sheen really is. At some times its an account of addiction, public implosion, and the hard-fought road to recovery. At others, it's a bit of a spectacle meant to shock.
With Sheen himself now seven years sober, the documentary offers an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at the man behind the headlines, for better or for worse.
What are some of the biggest reveals in 'aka Charlie Sheen'?
This chart-topping documentary is full of shocking revelations even some of Sheen's biggest fans may not have known—or anyone, for that matter. Among the most striking, which we'll mark with a spoiler alert here, are comments about his career and health.
Sheen confirms he is seven years sober at the time of filming and walks through the moment that pushed him toward sobriety, a missed hair appointment with his daughter Sami that forced him to confront his drinking.
He also addresses his HIV diagnosis, saying he was blackmailed over photos of his medication, yet maintains he never transmitted the virus to anyone.
Just as revealing are the career and personal bombshells sprinkled throughout. Sheen says he was once offered the lead in "The Karate Kid" but honored a prior commitment and watched the role go to Ralph Macchio.
He describes Clint Eastwood phoning in during his first intervention in an unflinching account, and also awkwardly recalls an on-set “ice cube” trick used in a, let's say, intimate area, to stay awake during a cocaine binge, a story the doc pairs with footage from the very scene.
While some of these truths obviously make for great viewing, they don't exactly paint Sheen in a sympathetic light. He doesn’t lean heavily on contrition. He acknowledges his mistakes, like the drugs, the public meltdowns, the relationships that crumbled, and everything else.
But he rarely couches them with regret. Instead, he looks back on these events of his life with dark humor and honesty, and it makes you wonder if he's actually remorseful for anything that he's done.
If you're a Sheen fan and looking to explore his career in what feels like a no-holds-barred documentary, you'll undoubtedly come away having learned something. But don't expect that you'll feel that the man has changed at all over the years in the process.
Watch it now on Netflix
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