The One About Matthew Perry review: Friends co-stars’ absence keeps it an intimate affair

Matthew Perry's friends have largely kept silent on the tragedy of his death, which actually benefits the recently released three-part docuseries about his life. The series focuses on Perry's friends, with particular attention to his close friends Roger Castillo and David Pressman. These friends provide both emotional depth and humor, offering a balanced perspective on their friendship with Perry.

Perry's prophecy about death, expressed in his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," proved true, as his friends saw his death coming. His exhaustion during a 2021 Friends reunion special foreshadowed his passing. Perry's friends speculate that an on-set skiing accident, which exposed him to prescription painkillers, may have led him down a path of drug abuse, alcoholism, and depression.

Despite Perry's efforts to fight addiction in his memoir, friends and family believe his struggles ultimately took their toll. The docuseries refrains from featuring the other Friends co-stars, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc, to keep the focus on Perry and his life. Their active participation could have distracted from Perry's story and may have resulted in one-dimensional accounts.

The friends' emotional connection to Perry is evident, with Courtney Cox recalling the family coming to support him during a rehab shoot, including his wedding to Monica. The docuseries successfully captures the love and support surrounding Perry, even without the presence of his former co-stars.