WARNING: The subject of the following review contains references to real-world criminal violence, animal cruelty, and abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
It’d be an understatement to say that we’re all operating under… harrowing circumstances of late, to the point where even a consistent schedule outside of reviewing films and other media has been hard to maintain. Still, if there’s one tiny silver lining to being under such circumstances, it’s the increase in media being released on home streaming services. Venues such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ had already begun to make headlines for introducing a wide spectrum of T.V. series and films to a more available and receptive audience, but with home entertainment becoming a more imperative asset of life than it possibly ever has been, it should come as no surprise that such services have filled that void for many a home audience. Of course, as with any sort of long-running filmography, the individual level of quality for any given show or movie can startlingly vary, which brings us to the subject of the latest “Rich Review”: the Netflix true crime documentary series “Tiger King”. Presented as an exposé of the crimes and conspiracies perpetrated by incarcerated zoo manager and failed politician “Joe Exotic”, the seven-episode series is, simply put, every bit as chaotic and gruesome as the full title implies, and such content is the source of both its flaws and its intrigue and entertainment value. One could probably expect any documentation of this eccentric, borderline deranged individual to be rife with morbidly enrapturing accounts, but this series’ investigation of Exotic’s business ventures, his associates and his eventual crime-induced fall from “grace” crafts a crime thriller narrative of conspiracy, hubris, and mutual distrust between allies and enemies alike.
Normally, this section is where I’d deliver the typical plot synopsis, but seeing as how I’m exploring thus-uncharted territory for this website by reviewing a true crime series, I’ll be taking a different approach to how I critique this one, so this post will most likely end up on the shorter side length-wise. I’m admittedly unfamiliar with the true crime format of limited series, which is the main reason why “Tiger King” was such a difficult subject to review, but I did have some assistance from a friend who has made a hobby out of binge-watching these kinds of shows. With that in mind, this friend told me that “Tiger King” is fairly weak as a true crime documentary in numerous ways, especially considering how it leaves certain questions about Joe Exotic and activist Carole Baskin unanswered in favor of sensationalizing the business and political antics of the gun-toting zookeeper. Typical documentaries of this format, she says, should focus less on the spectacle and a bit more on the facts, and while this show does shed some light on the evolution of exotic animal law in the United States, I can’t help but feel like my friend had a point about this series being style over substance.
Still, given that tonal approach, I feel like it’s also fair to look at this series from an entertainment perspective, and with my typical critical approach in mind, I have to admit that “Tiger King” does manage to be consistently engaging and entertaining at the very least. For instance, the cinematography present in the transitions between interviews and TV footage is bold, smooth, and well-directed, and the editing ensures that viewers’ attentions are firmly secured. One on-the-nose, yet effective example of this lies in how the series uses Joe Exotic’s country music (yes, really) to accentuate a point being made about him by former employees and business rivals being interviewed. This cinematic style is in service to what I believe to be the greatest strengths of “Tiger King”: spectacle and style. Joe Exotic is an unquestionably despicable individual for how he treated the animals under his care, the workers under his employ, and the activists that posed threats, both real and perceived, to his big cat exhibitions and breeding business. Still, his is a story that needs to be seen to be believed, and the documentary offers a seemingly hyperbolic, yet comprehensive and compelling look at his history as a zookeeper, businessman, entertainer, and unlikely political figure that is a narrative about a hostile underworld of animal rights as much as it is a true crime series.
As a narrative, “Tiger King” is lacking in sympathetic characters, as even the ones that eventually see to Joe’s downfall are painted as self-serving and complicit in crimes in their own ways, but that sort of tonal approach makes the series engaging and suspenseful in the same way that crime movies like “Scarface” and “Uncut Gems” are. Like those films, “Tiger King” tells a story of a man whose charisma and success in his line of work breeds hubris and hostility that proves to be his undoing on numerous levels, and if you’ll forgive me for being vague, it’s only because I think this is worth a watch for how morbidly engaging and readily available it is.
All in all, my thoughts on “Tiger King” are as messy and mixed as the series itself. It’s unquestionably gaudy, and the animal cruelty being exposed will prove undoubtedly difficult to witness (as it was for me), but there’s a sick level of intrigue to this seven-parter that makes it imperative viewing for those confined to their homes.
Rich Reviews 