Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story Documentary - Review

One of the iconic emblems of classic Hollywood, Hedy Lamarr had the kind of face and charisma the camera loved. She also lived a life fit for the movies, with an unbelievable story that few understood fully till now.

Thanks in large part to this documentary released in 2017, directed by Alexandra Dean, audiences learned crucial things about the incredible actress, and not to judge a pretty book by its cover. For example, she was an important inventor who helped create the basis for what we now understand to be the basis of Bluetooth technology.

Yes, you read that right. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story documents the life of the Austrian actress, revealing so much important information that went unnoticed for so many years; her contributions to both the cinematic art and engineering, two very different fields.

Starting at the very beginning with her unhappy marriage to a controlling figure, followed by her subsequent escape to Hollywood to become one of the leading ladies of the 1940s, the film doesn’t skimp on any details. In fact, it cleverly fulfills the twin meanings of its title; the bombshell, as a beautiful woman but also as a revealing narrative that implodes all preconceived notions.