Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. is one of Netflix's better true-crime docuseries

TV Guide

The four-part docuseries directed by Tiger King and Fyre executive producer Chris Smith "goes beyond the 'what' to focus on the 'how,' as in: How could Sarma (Melngailis), a gorgeous, successful chef on her way to stardom in New York's culinary scene, fall under the spell of Strangis, a domineering schlub, and hand him over a million dollars while cheating out investors and employees?" says Tim Surette. "Like HBO's excellent The Vow, the docuseries about NXIVM, became a crash course in cults and brainwashing, Bad Vegan does the same with corrupt relationships built on lies and control. Director Chris Smith (an executive producer on Tiger King) uses deep access to Sarma's inner circle and employees, phone calls and text messages between Sarma and Strangis, Sarma's journal, and, most importantly, Sarma herself to detail the frightening effects of mental abuse and domination."

ALSO:

• Give Bad Vegan this much: It does get right the balance between genuine gawky curiosity about its subject’s travails and sympathy
• Bad Vegan should've been a documentary instead of a docuseries: Like so many recent Netflix true crime docs, it starts to overstay its welcome
• By the end, Bad Vegan is almost numbing in its insanity
• Bad Vegan is the perfect true-crime story for our misinformation era
• With Bad Vegan, there’s a sadness and hurt here that comes through more than any fascination with the extraordinary
• What drew director Chris Smith to celebrity restaurateur Sarma Melngailis' story?
• Smith interviewed Sarma Melngailis for eight hours, going in with no preconceived notions