Released: 20th March 2020
Number of Episodes: 7
Certificate: 15
Created by: Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin
Starring: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, Bhagavan Antle, John Finlay, Rick Kirkham, John Reinke, Kelci Saffery, Jeff Lowe and Howard Baskin
Many zany, hard-hitting stories have emerged from the United States; whether it’s the political crisis or the strange behaviour of individuals, there’s always an interest in hearing them. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is one of the more oddball tales to come out of the nation in recent years and it’s the subject of Netflix’s latest true-to-life documentaries.
The king in question is Joe Exotic, the wacky and highly dubious owner of a third party zoo filled to burst with tigers; while initially he claimed to love the animals he kept, the bitter arguments he had with opposing parties, most notably Carole Baskin of Big Animal Rescue, drove him into a downward spiral which ended with his imprisonment in January 2020. In short, it’s a meltdown saga with all sides giving their takes on what occurred as well as the greater background of keeping big cats throughout America. The wild tale that ensues is very told with interviews from a wide range of sources from park workers to court officials. On top of that, it’s a succinct chronicle that details all the important events in a logical and understandable way. You come to understand why these people are who they are and why such a bitter feud erupted between them. Finally, while the show deals with numerous controversies, it doesn’t lean towards one bias or another; all sides have legitimate grievances and contentious actions, leaving you to form your own perspective. Who is the vainest of the bunch? How far are really they going in pursuit or virtuous or self-centred gain? Hypocrisy, greed and unsavoury behaviour are the name of the game here and the series takes an unfiltered perspective on the whole affair. At times you’ll be laughing at how absurd the whole thing is, but it certainly gets very grim at points. The abusive treatment of the animals is sure to be controversial with some audiences.
Using an extensive backlog of footage, conversations and documents, Tiger King delivers a comprehensive look at the events that transpired over several years, backing up its portrayals with some very detailed research in the process. It raises the fascination levels to a high peak and despite the wide range of individuals giving their thoughts, the pacing is always switched up, alternating between all sides in a balanced, closely knit manner. Slick presentational methods fill the seven episodes from top to bottom, generating an engaging dissection. In addition, a wide range of settings, music interludes and camera angles ensures that the series always proceeds at a great pace.
More than anything else I’ve seen; Tiger King conveys the strange and chaotic side of America and the obsessions that hang over it. It’s also brilliantly researched, well-paced and most importantly, allows the viewer to come to their own conclusions. If you can stomach the difficult scenes involving the tigers in their captivity, it’s a great watch from beginning to end.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Brilliant)
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