Tiger King (2020) Review
Murder, Mayhem, and Madness
It can be a struggle to sit through the entirety of Eric Goode’s Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness without experiencing some level of discomfort. The now-infamous six-part Netflix documentary lays bare the underbelly of big-cat breeding in America, revealing ugly truths that hit like a stab to the heart.
Tiger King opens like an episode of Duck Dynasty, the male-centric reality series about a family trying to operate a business specialising in items for duck hunters. The two shows share similar motifs that can easily swoon a male market: brawny men trying to make ends meet, huge animals, and a country-rock musical score.
The titular “Tiger King” is Joe Exotic: eccentric zookeeper of G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma. Exotic is a self-made musician, including a few albums among the various items in his zoo gift shop. He also hosted a live talk show every day, narrating the rambling goings-on of his daily life. This live show presented the opportunity to rant about his most vocal critic: Carole Baskins. Baskins was the owner of an animal rights protection group known as Big Cat Rescue. Crossing the boundaries of industry-related disagreements, Joe accuses Carole of being the suspect in her former husband’s alleged murder.
Despite being a wacky portrait of zoo life, the show isn’t shy to stray from its silly premise, depicting the extremely vile natures of its characters. From blackmails to property invasion to planned murder, Tiger King devolves into something truly bizarre, defying categorisation.
