It's impossible to explain the grip Tiger King had on the world when it was released. In hindsight, we might've been desperate to unify as much of the world had gone into lockdown due to the pandemic, but there was something about that tiger-loving Joe Exotic that captivated America. The world moved on, but I haven't forgotten, and I legitimately think Chimp Crazy is much better than the Netflix docuseries ever was.
With so many shows on the 2024 TV schedule, I can understand if readers completely missed this HBO docuseries. That said, it's currently available to stream with a Max subscription, and there's ample reason to watch the latest series from the people responsible for Tiger King if you've been looking to fill that void in your life.
Tonia Haddix Is So Much More Intriguing Than Joe Exotic
As documentaries like these show, there are some colorful characters in the world of private ownership of exotic animals. Tonia Haddix is very much like Joe Exotic in that she's passionate about the right to own exotic pets and will go to war with anyone who tries to take that from her. The original Tiger King did a great job of showing the variety of villains in its situation, and Chimp Crazy does the same.
Tonia's story is unique. I think, unlike Joe Exotic, viewers will see someone who isn't in it for the money and is a bit obsessive in her dedication and love to raising chimpanzees and other primates at her facility. Her methods of care may not be that of a trained professional, but one thing that comes through is that she genuinely loves these animals.
Truthfully, Tonia Haddix gives off strong Carole Baskin vibes without the accusations that she murdered her husband or forged his signature to gain control of his money. It's fair to say, however, that she has her own skeletons in her closet. She also has a real beef with the people at PETA and actor Alan Cumming, who worked with her most prized chimp, Tonka. She loves Tonka more than her child, which her son confirms during Chimp Crazy.
You'll Learn A Lot Of Shocking Things About Chimp Ownership
I was pretty in the dark about people letting chimpanzees live in their homes as pets. The only thing I was aware of was that Hollywood has used trained apes for decades in movies, and after hearing about how easily it can all go wrong, I'm kind of shocked they ever did.
In Tiger King, the danger of wrestling with a 400-pound Tiger is pretty obvious to everyone except Mike Tyson, who actually slept with his pets. Chimpanzees are an entirely different beast (forgive the pun) because of how similar they can act to humans. As we hear in lots of cases, they can be cuddling on the couch one minute and tearing your face off the next.
Despite that, viewers will hear a number of chimp owners talk about the special and deep bond they share with these primates. Even some who were attacked will state they don't regret owning a chimp, nor would they have done anything different.
One takeaway I had about Chimp Crazy is that humans and chimps can form a deep bond. Even Alan Cumming, as fiercely supportive as he is to PETA's efforts, understands that Tania has a deep bond with Tonka, and feels that he had one as well when he was working with him in the movie Buddy. The relationships may not be safe, but there's something there everyone involved has trouble explaining.
The Story Takes So Many Drastic Turns During The Filming
Twists in a docuseries are nothing new to me. Many of the best documentaries start out being about one thing, and then take a sudden shift part of the way through. While I do like the regular documentary that tells the story it set out to at the beginning, there's always something to love about a docuseries that gets turned on its head.
Chimp Crazy has a wild twist that slaps its audience in the face, and it just keeps going right up until the final minutes of the mini series. I actually began watching the series ahead of the final episode, and it felt like the longest week of my life waiting for the final episode to finally hit Max. That's not to say the rest of the series isn't fantastic, because to that point I thought it couldn't get any better, but it shifted into another gear.
I was actually surprised to feel this way, because typically, I don't like when it feels the documentary crew is influencing the direction of the story too heavily. I won't get too deep into details on why the team gets involved, but at the end of it I can ultimately understand why they became involved and am grateful it paid off with such a deep look at the hidden world of exotic pet ownership. My favorite documentaries always pull back the curtain on a world I couldn't possibly imagine or know the first thing about, and Chimp Crazy does that in such a great way.
It's for this reason that I don't just say that Chimp Crazy is like Tiger King, it exceeds it in just about every way possible. It seems I'm not alone in this thought either, as the series has maintained a healthy position towards the top of Max's topped stream shows for a while now. So, if you're someone who thought Tiger King was fun and you haven't had a chance to check out this series yet, I can't recommend it enough. You'll feel many things throughout but I guarantee the one thing you won't feel is boredom.
As mentioned, Chimp Crazy is available to stream on Max, or via HBO on demand. After watching it, maybe check out The Sopranos documentary, and learn some more about one of the most acclaimed shows of all time that also ends in a shocking and abrupt way!
