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Greetings again from the darkness. Natasha Gregson Wagner recalls hearing that the body of her mother, actress Natalie Wood, had been found near Santa Catalina Island. It was November 21, 1981 and Natasha was 11 years old. Now she's a producer of this documentary, as well as providing her own perspectives, and conducting some of the interviews, in particular the one with her stepfather Robert Wagner. If you are looking for a definitive answer to one of Hollywood's unsolved mysteries, you won't find it here (or anywhere). Instead, it's a dive into the life and career of one of our brightest stars through the words of her friends, family, and co-workers; plus some clips, personal home movies, previously unseen photographs, and Natalie's own words.

Natalie Woods' on screen luminescence lasted nearly forty years, which is remarkable considering she died at age 43. It's noted that generations (plural) watched her grow up. She delivered memorable roles at all stages of her career: as a child actor playing the Santa Claus skeptic in MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947); as an angsty teenager opposite James Dean in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955), as a blossoming young woman in SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (1961); as a 1960's swinger in BOB AND CAROL AND TED AND ALICE (1969); and in her final role (released posthumously) in BRAINSTORM (1983). She was nominated for 3 Oscars by the time she was 25, and is also remembered as Maria in Best Picture winner WEST SIDE STORY (1961), as famed stripper Gypsy Rose Lee in GYPSY (1962), co-starring with Steve McQueen in LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER (1963), co-starring with Robert Redford in THIS PROPERTY IS CONDEMNED (1966), and opposite George Segal in the comedy THE LAST MARRIED COUPLE IN AMERICA (1980).

Clearly, given the films and roles listed above, Natalie Wood was the epitome of a movie star. She was beautiful, talented, and lived a life that kept her in the fan magazines (known today as tabloids). The film is structured in an unusual manner for a biographical documentary. A loose outline would start with the personal life (husbands, kids, love interests), then move into the career, and wrap up with her death, the aftermath of her death, and the impact she had on loved ones. Of course, there are many overlaps, but the key takeaway is that this is a very personal look by those who were connected to Natalie.

Laurent Bouzereau is a documentarian who has specialized in shorts and "making of" (behind-the-scenes) projects for 25 years. He's also an author, movie buff, and known collector of movie memorabilia. Here he delivers a nice tribute to Natalie Woods, though one gets the feeling that Natasha had much to do with the final presentation. We see her interview Daddy Gregson and Daddy Wagner, the only names she ever remembers having for her biological father, British Producer-Agent Richard Gregson, and her stepfather Robert Wagner. Gregson, afflicted with Parkinson's disease, died in August 2019, while Wagner is now 90 years old. Both interviews are personal to Natasha, though it's the Wagner session that packs the most emotional punch.

Even when we hear about Natalie's film career, it seems most want to talk about how likable and talented she was. This includes interviews with Robert Redford, Richard Benjamin, Mia Farrow, George Hamilton, and Mart Crowley. Mr. Crowley was a screenwriter and close friend who died recently (March 2020), and had met Natalie on the production of SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS. So while Ms. Woods' career is important, even more time is spent on the personal side. Natasha and her sisters recall time with Willie Mae, their nanny who was like part of the family. We also learn of Natalie and Wagner's (aka RJ) first date on her 18th birthday, as well as their two marriages to each other - with her marriage to Gregson, and relationship with Warren Beatty nestled between.

One of the more fascinating segments comes from Natasha reading excerpts from an unpublished first-person article Natalie had written for "Ladies Home Journal" in 1966. It reads like a diary and provided Natasha and us with personal insights we couldn't have known. Natalie's parents were Ukrainian immigrants, although not much time is devoted to Natalie's stage mother or the strained relationship the family now has with Natalie's sister (and actress) Lana Wood. Instead, the focus is mostly upbeat. Plus we all came for the Wagner interview to hear him speak about the night of Natalie's death. It's surprisingly emotional.

Natalie's oft-reported "fear of dark water" is hit head on, and there is even mention of her overdose and mental struggles. But this is mostly a positive recounting of her life, and owes a great deal to Manoah Bowman's biography "Natalie Wood: Reflections on a Legendary Life." Bowman is also a producer on the film. Natalie Wood is one whose mysterious and much too early death has overshadowed her work, and as daughter Natasha says, the person she was.

Director Laurent Bouzereau compounds excellent film clips, interviews, and historical data and enhances Natalie Wood's daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner to present her memoires and significant life incidents in this fine documentary on the life and talent and controversies of Natalie Wood. By including the conversations with Robert (RJ) Wagner, Richard Gregson (Natasha's biological father), Courtney Wagner (Natalie's child with RJ), along with insights form Robert Redford, George Hamilton, Katie Wagner (RJ's daughter from another marriage), Mart Crowley, David Niven, Jr, Mia Farrow et al we are given the opportunity to see the inception of Natalie's career as an actress as a child, her development as a sophisticated actress (complete with film clips of most of her many movies), her loving family life, her emotional ordeals, her impact on Hollywood as a feminist activist for women's rights, and finally, her death by drowning at the young age of 43.

The documentary is polished, focusing on the contributions and attributes of N Natalie Wood, giving the audience an even greater appreciation of the woman and actress. Many subjects are addressed that make her story of her life even more significant - a fine tribute to a remarkable person.

It's a beautiful documentary capturing her 5 decades of acting and the demands on her personal life.

Natalie Wood may not have been as iconic a figure as say Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley as is claimed at one point in this Netflix documentary but she was certainly one of the few child movie stars who went on to enjoy a full and varied career as an adult appearing in several iconic movies. As a child she appeared prominently in "Miracle On 34th Street" and as the kidnapped white girl tracked down by John Wayne in John Ford's classic "The Searchers" although this is unaccountably not mentioned here and then as an adult in major films like "Rebel Without A Cause", "West Side Story" and "Gypsy ". Her life was tragically cut short when she was found drowned after spending an evening on board the family yacht with husband Robert Wagner and then film co-star Christopher Walken which has been the subject of much speculation right down to the present.

This film takes two passes at her life, the first taking about 40 minutes to get to the first mention of her demise and then investigating in detail her somewhat mysterious and some might say suspicious death. It's a pity that these seemingly spurious allegations, led by her obsessed younger sister who claims that Wagner had something to do with it, come to dominate the narrative and running time as Wood's achievements were considerable and worth recounting, no matter how she passed.

The child of Russian immigrant parents, her mother is described as eccentric and demanding, the classic showbiz mom in fact. When she married Wagner, both were in demand as young and photogenic high-profile stars, the Brad and Angelina of their day with their faces on the front of every movie magazine. However the marriage didn't last and both remarried and had daughters with other partners, both remarrying in the process before they got back together in the 70 's, remarrying and this time having a baby girl of their own. This second marriage appears to have been a happy one with Wood revelling in her role as mother to the three girls between her and Wagner, to the extent that she took a career break to bring up their kids, but was just returning to Hollywood in parts befitting her maturiy when she met her end.

I must admit the woman I encountered here, I liked and admired. She was a good actress, certainly beautiful but was also business-smart and apparently a good wife and devoted mother. Her story is told with lots of library interview footage of Wood as well as extensive interviews with all her surviving family members, especially Wagner, although unsurprisingly there's no input at all from the accusatory sister or Walken, apart from a brief historical clip of him denying any involvement in her death. I do think though this was the right course to take with the narrative as it seems clear to me that Wagner felt and still feels genuine remorse and clearly has the support of the three girls in the family and close friends.

With other admiring contributions by notable co-stars such as Robert Redford, Dyan Cannon and Elliott Gould, what emerged was a picture of a well-rounded woman with a strong idea of her own worth and determined to live her life her way.

Just a postscript to say that it's a bit of a shame to hear so many of the participants talking about their reliance on therapy. It seems that the lifestyles of the rich and famous aren't to be envied after all.

Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind is a wonderful biography telling the story of Natalie Wood's life in a raw way from the perspectives of multiple people. The film gets into lots of details and aspects of her life. By the end, the audience knows all about who Natalie Wood was.

The film is composed of old video and audio clips of Natalie Wood as well as multiple interviews, some of which are conducted by Wood's daughter, Natasha. The clips follow in somewhat of a chronological order, but the film doesn't start off at the beginning of her life. It covers details and facts about her entire life, but skips around, going to different parts. It focuses on her success as a child, her family's struggles, her love life, and the drama surrounding her death. The documentary also highlights all of her achievements in her film career.

The people featured in the documentary represent Natalie Wood's extensive circle of family and friends. Their interviews tell their perspectives of Natalie and her life. Included are her daughters, the family nanny, her husband and people who worked with her.

I thought it was interesting the way that they decided to skip around to different phases in her life. Normally documentaries pursue a chronological order, starting from the beginning and following through to the end. In contrast, this documentary is really effective in the way it skips around, because it gives the audience a bit of background information before returning to explain some aspect in deeper detail. I liked this because it allowed me to get a general idea first of what Natalie Wood was like and then what she experienced. I could see how people viewed her from the outside and then, the film delves deeper into a closer perspective by her friends and family.

My favorite parts are the home videos of Natalie Wood with her children. These clips make you realize that, even though she was under the pressure of the spotlight all the time and looks perfect, she is a human being with a life too.

The purpose of this documentary is to honor Natalie Wood and show people how great a life she lived. Some people focus more on the tragedy of her death and overlook her legacy in the film industry.

I loved watching and learning more about Natalie Wood's wonderful story. I give Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18. Even adults will enjoy learning from this documentary.

Reviewed by Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Reporter

"Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind" (2020 release; 101 min.) is a documentary about the life and times of Natalie Wood. As the movie opens, we hear in voice-over Natalie's daughter Natasha who was 11 at the time of her mother's death, lamenting that "How she died has overshadowed her work and the person that she was". We then go back in time to Natalie's early years, and how she started in the movies at a very young age (5). Friend of the family Robert Redford comments "To survive in the movie business you have to be tough, but Natalie also had a big heart." Along the way we get clips of Natalie talking about her craft. At this point we are 10 min. into the movie.

Couple of comments: this documentary is from the French director Laurent Bouzereau, best known for his dozens and dozens "making of" documentaries,. More importantly, the movie is produced by Natasha Gregson Wagner, Natalie's oldest daughter. From the interviews with/by Natasha and also her younger sister (Natalie's youngest daughter Courtney who was 7 when Natalie died), it is clear that both have been haunted for years about the early passing of their mother. There is of course some irony in the fact that the movie opens with the very thing that Natasha is complaining about (her death overshadowing Natalie's work and the person she was). Roughly speaking the first half of the movie deals with the person that Natalie was, and the second half presents a closer look at Natalie's incredible Hollywood career. You can sense the love and the respect for Natalie throughout, as one might expect from a film produced by Natalie's daughter, but the movie does also address the tumultuous personal life and relationships that Natalie went through.

"Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind" premiered on HBO earlier this week and is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming services. If you have any interest in a slice of Hollywood history or are simply a fan of Natalie Wood, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Natasha Gregson Wagner has given the world a truly beautiful tribute to her mother, wife, mom, actress, friend Natalie Wood. We are simply strangers who enjoyed and appreciated Natalie Wood's work.I feel we have been allowed to see an honest look into the person through the words and memories of the beautiful daughter she raised. It was open and very forthright, making no attempt to gloss over the difficult parts of any life. Heartwarming to see the close knit, fun, home life Natalie and Robert Wagner worked so hard to give their children, who were so obviously such a central and important part of their lives. It's very much past time the tabloids leave this family in peace. It is obvious Robert Wagner has put his heart and soul into doing the difficult job of raising these girls after Natalie's death. I always enjoyed seeing him interviewed by Robert Osbourne on TCM. Thank you for allowing us to see your memories of your mother Natasha. Very well done indeed.

With every documentary on her, you get a different viewpoint on who she was. And you have to wonder, which was the real Natalie Wood? This offered no more than the others. Like, where was Robert Blake in this Doc? He was a very close friend of hers. Maybe there's a good reason he wasn't in it. Considering that it was her family who did this Doc, you would think I'd be convinced that this is the real definitive story of who she was.. But i'm not convinced, not by a long shot. Wagner admits smashing that bottle on that boat, but that he calmed down shortly thereafter. To me, that anger shows that he WAS physically capable of an angry shove that thew her overboard. His genuine outpouring of grief could also be in equal parts guilt as well as sadness. I don't say that he did it, Just that it was possible. But the family is too close to see or believe it. One of my top 5 favorite films is Brainstorm, which was her last. Which has given me my interest in her. But one thing is for certain. Just like the mystery of her death, who she really was will remain just as mysterious, based on too many myriad documentary viewpoints. And I don't think any further documentary (and considering how many there are, there will no doubt be more) will answer that question.

Those under 40 probably don't even know who Natalie Wood is. This touching documentary by Wood's daughter Natasha includes amazing clips of her films, numerous pictures of family, friends and intimate home movies. I didn't know a lot of the details about her life, career and loves. She embodied pure glamour during the golden age of movies and her career spanned a long time even though she was just 43 when she died.

Of course it goes into her love life which is extensive. The love story between Natalie and Robert Wagner is pure Hollywood- married twice 10 years apart and it seems like they were passionately in love.

Some reviews complain about the focus on the circumstances of her mysterious death but I would have been disappointed had it not been addressed. Pretty incredible that Natasha goes directly to the source, the one person who could answer the questions everyone has, stepfather Wagner. I don't know, he seemed genuine to me, but then again who knows? They're actors after all.

I enjoyed this thoroughly, perhaps too much, but then I love Hollywood stories! Worth a watch just to gaze upon hundreds of images of Natalie- how positively stunning she is! If you love movies, you will love this.

This is a loving and rose coloured look at Wood that skips over a lot of seedier stuff to keep the light shone on family. which is fine, but you have to look elsewhere for a little more of what her life may have actually been like. Still solid though.

Family members of Nathalie Wood produced this documentary and there is not a single word that is negative or critical about the person of Nahtalie Wood, despite her having swallowed almost 10 different sorts of pills, before she drowned. It was an accident. That's the families reasoning why this immensly famous actress suddenly died.

Nothing new, nothing gossipy to be found or heard in this documentary. It's one big gloryfying show of Nathalie Wood. She has been a remarkable famous actress, which starred in some of the most classic American movies of the fifties and sixties, so some praise is certainly appropriate, but it tends to get a bit boring half way through, only getting better again at the end, when the several rumours about the cause of drowning are revealed.

Recommended only for Wood fans, but not for others...

This is such a great film. Covers Natalie Wood throughout her life and after. After watching this, I felt like nothing was left out or not touched on. These are the people that loved her and she loved back. Great memories and stories. Just a perfect watch.

The premise of Laurent Bouzereau's 'Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind' wants to "explore the personal and professional triumphs and challenges of actor Natalie Wood, which have often been overshadowed by her premature death." The documentary works when it focuses on her career, personal life, and the strides she made for equality for female actors. Some precious and rare footage, photos, and words from her show up in this welcome look at the famous actress. Yet things go terribly off when a good portion of the screen time is given over to recounting the circumstances and controversies around her drowning. It feels like the film is trying too hard to set the record straight - a popular opinion is that Wood's husband, Robert Wagner, was directly involved in her death. Whatever the intentions to make this more of a tribute to Wood's career and life, they director and producers couldn't quite resist the lure of scandal and controversy.

"HBO's" latest bio like doc "Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind" is one touching, emotional highlight like doc of a legendary superstar who left us to soon. Even though before my time(and the fact that I haven't watched any of her movies) I knew just what a great that Mrs. Wood was. I know more about her untimely and tragic strange mystery like death in 1981, still after watching this doc I feel now more than ever informed and respect her talent, beauty, and grace even more. Done and narrated with interviews provided by her daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner this is one eye opening film of her late mom's love and beauty. As the footage includes never before seen home movies with family and friends and interviews with costars like Robert Redford, and most telling and heart touching is the sit down interview with Natasha's stepdad "Daddy Wagner"(Robert). As it's clear after being married twice to Natalie he never lost his love for her. The film is also telling of Natalie's mommy issues and struggle with her sibling, and it shows how she fought for women's work rights in the studio system from a young age. And footage shows her many loves with famous men, as by the age of 25 she had already been nominated for three Oscars. Thru all of this it's overshadowed by her tragic unexplained mystery like apparent drowning death in 1981 after the Thanksgiving holiday at the young age of 43. Really great loving engrossing documentary that celebrates a beautiful legendary screen queen that left us to soon.

A touching story from a family that was well loved. No question left unanswered, for me at least. It shows the mother, the actress, the wife, the child, and the woman that was Natalie Wood. It doesn't gloss over the rough stuff but it doesn't glamorize the rough stuff either. Things happen in life for us all as it did for this family. Divorces and therapy and love affairs and sadness and happiness ...hmm just like real life. I've loved Natalie Wood and all she's done for a very long time and now I know she was well loved as well. Watch this and rejoice in it all..

Director Laurent Bouzereau, an established home video/movie documentarian, teams up with Producer/Interviewer Natasha Gregson Wagner (daughter of Natalie Wood and British producer/writer/agent Richard Gregson and step-daughter to Robert Wagner "Daddy Wagner") to look back into the life and times of one of Hollywood's early "it girls", the death of her mother, and the publics need to continue to talk of conspiracy regarding Wood's death. In all, the production is a beautiful tribute Wood's life, providing her many fans an intimate glimpse into Wood's childhood, her personal family dynamics, growing up on screen and her many loves. With several Hollywood's top actors/friends/associate coming before the camera for interviews, it's clear to see Wood's was, is and continues to be loved. The film eventually becomes personal when Natasha reads from her mom's letter (found after her death), and her sit-down with Robert Wagner ("R.J."). With Natasha asking the questions and R.J's recalling the day before, the night of and the days following Wood's death, it's hard to watch because it feel like we're witnessing what should be a personal family discussion, and yet its before the cameras to experience. While there are no new revelations regarding Wood's death, if there are clues to be found, the glossing over of the additional information provided by the boats deckhand, and no interview with Christopher Walken (who was on the boat the night she dead) do little to end this story. If anything, "Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind" demonstrates that the family, except for Natalie's sister Lana - who has her own theories, have come to terms with Wood's passing, and shouldn't that be enough?

It all feels horribly staged and unbelievable. A cheap attempt at exonerating "Daddy Wagner."

A very taste story of Natalie wood's life. Natalie's sister must be some kind of terrible person to go on and on about her death

Wagner had a really hard time looking at Natalie's oldest daughter in the face when telling the story of the night Natalie Wood. He is hiding something. There is so much more to the story....something happened on that boat and those three men know the truth but are hiding it to save their own careers. Oh and then lo and behold, another woman comes into the photo almost immediately after Natalie's death. Please don't give up on the truth on how Natalie really died. They reopened the case because finally one of them men on the boat spoke the truth and knows that Robert Wagner was part of Natalie's death and knows much more than he is telling everyone.

You feel it as a long honest confession more than subjective portrait. And that it is the main virtue of this documentary creating not a image, hommage and life lessons but a splendid chain of testimonies about the force, vulnerability and career of a wonderful woman, from the voices and emotions of family and friends. A film about Nathalie Wood, off course but, fortunatelly, more that. A great documentary about meanings of life, posterity and , maybe, happiness. The image and words of Robert Wagner are the most precious gift.