As someone who has spent countless hours delving into the strange and captivating world of exotic animal owners, I cannot help but be drawn to HBO’s latest offering, Chimp Crazy. Having been hooked on Tiger King like millions of others, I was eagerly waiting for a new series that would continue to peel back the layers of this bizarre subculture.
The Tiger King’s reign has been usurped, as a new HBO docuseries entitled “Chimp Crazy” takes center stage, garnering a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Created by Eric Goode, the mastermind behind Netflix sensation Tiger King, this four-part series follows Tonia Haddix, a former nurse turned exotic animal broker, who looks after animals in captivity. However, her boundless affection for one chimpanzee leads to an exhilarating game of cat and mouse with authorities and an animal rights organization.
The series sounds just as intriguing as the bizarre tale of Joe Exotic, and the first reviews for Chimp Crazy have hailed it as the next “must watch” series surrounding the outlandish world of exotic animal owners and, in this case, so-called “chimp moms.” Margaret Lyons of The New York Times found Chimp Crazy to be an improvement on the Tiger King.
1. “In this film, every individual depicted seems to be going through hard times. Some are downright comical, while others resemble chimpanzees more closely. The documentary ‘Chimp Crazy’ offers a richer experience than ‘Tiger King’, largely due to its focus on the animals’ distress.”
According to Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter, he found it both superior and inferior to “Tiger King” at the same time. However, he commended its more refined and mature portrayal compared to the sensationalism in “Tiger King“.
“In contrast to his popular series Tiger King, Goode expands on a well-defined argument in Chimp Crazy. Essentially, he argues against the private ownership of chimpanzees, advocating for federal regulation due to its detrimental effects on both the animals and their owners. The issue lies in the fact that chimps are not like domestic pets; they’re large, powerful creatures with behaviors significantly different from humans, making them unsuitable for domestication.”
According to Nick Schager from The Daily Beast, the documentary “Chimp Crazy” is being referred to as the new “Tiger King” that everyone has been eagerly anticipating.
“The sensational and eccentric follow-up to the hit pandemic series, “Chimp Crazy,” continues to unveil shocking truths about an unexplored, wild realm in the exotic animal trading business.”
Chimp Crazy Offers Something More Profound Than the Absurdity of Tiger King
Instead, Michel Ghanem from The Cut commended director Eric Goode for emphasizing the “grey zones” akin to those found in Tiger King, but with a stronger emphasis on animal welfare as opposed to the peculiarities of the human characters.
“Given his work on Tiger King, it appears Goode’s decisions in Chimp Crazy were influenced. He emphasized animal welfare and avoided sensational portrayals, likely due to this experience.”
In a similar vein, John Anderson from The Wall Street Journal praised Goode for tackling both the ethical concerns surrounding the exotic pet trade and the captivating narrative aspect of it.
“Tales of large animals kept as pets turning aggressive aren’t for the faint-hearted. There are moral dilemmas associated with Mr. Goode’s project too, which he acknowledges and addresses directly.”
Ultimately, Nina Metz from the Chicago Tribune discovered a surprisingly deep core in the series Chimp Crazy. This show appears set to move viewers more powerfully than the usual streaming sensation that’s devoured in one sitting.
“The docuseries lingered in my mind for several days following my viewing, and it’s changed the way I perceive our connections with domestic and wild animals.”
Starting August 18, the original documentary series titled “Chimp Crazy” will debut on both HBO and Max. Here’s a sneak peek of the trailer:
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2024-08-16 16:31