I don’t know about you but I wasn’t going to watch Tiger King. Then everyone kept recommending it to me so I figured, since there was so little else on, that I’d give it a watch. And all I can say is, it was a tad odd. I have a sort of love-hate relationship with Netflix’s true crime documentaries. They’re filmed for entertainment more than getting at the truth. And so, like many others, Tiger King seemed more about keeping you guessing and watching for longer than actually presenting the facts in a coherent way. That being said, it was an entertaining watch.
Murder, Mayhem and Madness
Now with an after-show talking to some of the individuals from the limited series, the Tiger King show looked at the ongoing war between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin and his eventual arrest.
An unusual character, Joe Exotic began his Tiger rescue after the death of his brother, seemingly with good intentions but as costs rose he began to branch out to make ends meet. Everything from visiting schools with cubs to talk about what drug use does to you, to magic shows, to his zoo.
The series presents Joe’s life to you in a series of disjointed bite-sized pieces, feeding you a little more as the show goes on to cement the story it’s presenting. And the more you learn the weirder it gets. But he’s not the only individual the camera focuses on and Carole Baskin’s life is put under the microscope too.
But neither his story nor Carole’s is concluded in a satisfying way. You leave the show with a sense of wtf!?! and uncertainty in the pit of your stomach.
Tiger King Review Conclusion
I’m picky about Netflix True Crime docs: – As exciting and fun as this was to watch it does have a number of implied gory scenes and a lot of carefully constructed narrative. You are led through this story and offered evidence designed to raise questions. It’s intriguing, it’s fascinating, there are lots of tigers and other big cats, and it made it quite clear that there can easily be a dirty, sleezy underside to anything and everything we pay to experience. From the trade in big cats to murder for hire this limited series presents an exciting glimpse into an industry that is still operating in the U.S. and other countries today but somehow left me wondering what actually happened.
3.5 Stars
If it left you wondering too, here are a couple of links that offer a clearer picture: ‘Tiger King’ sentenced to 22 years for violence against tigers and people and The Bizarre Story Of Joe Exotic, From ‘Tiger King’ To Convict
Horror and Fantasy Author – Also writing as K.T. McQueen. Love Western Horror, cowboy boots, my cactus Collin, & my Demon Cat.
Moths – I hate moths, the way they flutter at your face!