There are very few contemporary documentaries that have mirroredthe cultural phenomenathatNetflix’sTiger Kingcreated, particularly ones that are structured more like a television show than a movie. Whether its success was born out of heightened pandemic-era streaming habits or the sheer ridiculousness of the story,Tiger Kingwas able to capture the world’s scattered attention and ultimately offer a story thatviewers could not look away from. In fact, the show became so culturally relevant that the story wasturned into a scripted limited series, which similarly explored the practically unbelievable tale ofJoe Exotic and his beloved big cats.
Four years later, series co-directorEric Goodeis back with another unimaginable look into the world of exotic pet ownership in HBO’sChimp Crazy. Although the idea of owning a primate as a domesticated pet may seem slightly more reasonable than a large tiger,Chimp Crazycertainly proves that it comes with just as manydangerous mishaps,legal troubles, andsimilarly eccentric charactersas the ones present throughoutTiger King. Through the exploration of the life of Tonia Haddix, the series provides yet another example of what happens when humans seek to make pets of theworld’s most dangerous wild animals.
At First Glance, ‘Chimp Crazy’ and ‘Tiger King’ Seem Very Similar
On the surface, the story ofTonia Haddix and her rise to fame as the “Dolly Parton of chimps”may appear to be a rehashing of Goode’s previous work, especially considering how similar the two series' main subjects are. Both Joe Exotic and Tonia Haddix come from Midwestern roots, where states oftentimes have very relaxed laws around the ownership of exotic animals. Their similarities go beyond their affinity for strange pets though, as both of theirunique off-centered personalitiesmake viewers just as interested in learning about their lives as they are interested in learning about the wild animals that they are surrounded by.
Both theTiger KingandChimp Crazydocuseries use their protagonists' fascination with their animal of choice to explore a wider conversation about the treatment of exotic pets, and why many environmental and animal rights activists advise against the private ownership and domestication of animals commonly found in the wild. It may come as no surprise to viewers that, like Joe Exotic, Tonia Haddix similarly does not realize any of the negative impacts that her obsession with owning chimpanzees leaves on the animals, and the series ultimately becomes a story of how she works to defy anyone or anything that would get in the way of her owning them. Although the similarities in character and theme are undeniable,the story ofChimp Crazyis uniquely individual.
‘Tiger King’ and 9 Other Movies and TV Shows That Defined the 2020 Pandemic
The worst year for many of us had some pretty great shows and movies.
‘Chimp Crazy’s Legal Drama Takes the Most Unexpected Turn
WhereTiger Kingfocuses heavily on the exploration of Joe Exotic and his rivalry with fellow exotic pet ownerCarole Baskin,Chimp Crazyleans into a more wide-angle look into the legal drama that ensues in the battle for ownership of Haddix’s collection of Chimpanzees. The non-profit organizationPETA, which has become so infamous for its controversial acts of protest, plays a similar antagonist role inChimp Crazyto the one that Baskin plays inTiger King.After Haddix moves to Missouri to work at Connie Casey’s Missouri Primate Foundation, she is thrown in the midst ofan intense legal battlewith representatives from PETA, who ultimately are successful in shutting down the site for its mistreatment of the primates it houses.
Although most viewers may have expected PETA’s victory in the case against Haddix and the Missouri Primate Foundation to mark the end of their drama, it ultimately became the beginning ofsomething much more unbelievable. Following the court order to surrender all of her chimpanzees, Haddix appeared to be cooperating- until the authorities discovered that one of the chimps was missing. Despite Haddix insisting she had nothing to do with the disappearance, audiences later learn the truth: she had taken the chimp on the run and hidden him in a basement enclosure inside her new home hundreds of miles away. Though PETA suspected her involvement, they are unable to prove it in court and are forced to drop the case. It is not until the filmmakers, who were previously naive about the location of the chimp, find out that Haddix realizesshe might not get away with it after all.
‘Chimp Crazy’ Poses a Fascinating Moral Dilemma
Chimp Crazyalso poses a distinctive moral dilemma between the documentarian and its subject, as the filmmakers are forced to choose between chasing the story and doing what is best for the animals they are highlighting. When Eric Goode set out on this project, he knew his reputation from the work he did onTiger Kingwould make it near impossible for him to grow close with Haddix and gain her trust. In the first episode of the series, viewers meet Dwayne Cunningham, a former circus performer who is hired by Goode to play the role of the director in the presence of Haddix and her primate-owning colleagues. This setsan almost unethical tone for the entire series, where the audience feels like they are getting a peek into a production secret that the most important character is not privy to.
The biggest moral dilemma does not appear until the third episode, though, where Goode is forced to decide whether he wants to allow the story of Haddix’s abduction of the chimp to play out, or to give PETA the information they need to rescue the animal from her arguably unsafe care. In the final moments of the episode, Goode is shown sitting down with PETA’s lawyer andfinally confessing the whereabouts of the stolen chimp, but the episode abruptly ends at the beginning of their conversation. Although it was not immediate, it is clear that Goode has a deep love and care for the animals he highlights, as he was ultimately willing to potentially throw away the most captivating part of his story to ensure the chimp was rightly cared for.
WhileChimp Crazycertainly builds off of the elements ofTiger Kingthat made the showso wildly successful,it ultimately separates itselfthrough the sheer nature of its subjects and the story that surrounds them. With the series finale set to premiere this upcoming Sunday, September 8, audiences are anxiously awaiting to see how this once-in-a-lifetime chimpanzee legal drama pans out.
Chimp Crazyis available to stream on Max.
Chimp Crazy
A docuseries that follows Tonia Haddix, an exotic animal broker, as she becomes embroiled in a battle over a beloved chimpanzee. The show explores the ethical dilemmas and legal struggles surrounding the exotic pet trade, highlighting the complexities of human-animal relationships.
WATCH ON MAX
