The newest viral topic going around at the moment is the Netflix documentary, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. Amidst most of the country being put under quarantine or social distancing measures, many people found the wild ride of this documentary a great escape from their own realities.
This documentary follows Joe Exotic and others in the world of big cat breeding and trading. The series has larger than life personalities, murder plots, polygamy, tigers, and more. If you’ve recently finished the series and are wondering what to watch next, here are some recommendations.
Rotten
This documentary might not be the most connected to the themes of Tiger King, but it is really interesting. This story looks more at food production in the United States and some of the issues and corruption that are at play.
Animals do play a role in this story, and it brings up many important topics related to the environment, conversation, and the role that humans play in all of this. If you’re looking for an eye-opening story on a topic you might not have thought about much before, this is a good documentary to watch.
An Apology to Elephants
An Apology to Elephants is an HBO documentary that premiered in 2013. Since Tiger King has animal abuse and exploitation as a backdrop, many people are probably looking for more information on animals in captivity and how they are treated.
An Apology to Elephants looks at elephants in captivity and how many of them suffer a lot of physical and emotional abuse while living in certain zoos and circuses. If you’re looking for ways to learn about how to help animals, this is a good place to start.
Planet Earth
Given that a lot of the subject material of Tiger King is so heavy and dark at times, you might be looking to take a bit of a breather and immerse yourself in a more wholesome documentary.
Planet Earth and the sequels do have sad moments, but they are a beautiful look at the natural world and the species that we share the planet with. This documentary will inspire you to want to help conserve nature. Plus, it can be a bit of a soothing escape.
Fyre
Because there is so much going on in Tiger King, there are many different subjects that people who liked it might be interested in. Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened has nothing to do with animals, but it has everything to do with large personalities who promise things that they can’t deliver.
There are definitely some similarities between the Fyre Fest organizers and they say they try to exploit others and the people on Tiger King like Doc Antle.
Making a Murderer
While Tiger King appealed to many people who care about animal rights issues, it also appealed to those who like true crime. It had a wild mix of topics and genres. So, for those who were most interested in the true-crime angle, Netflix’s well-known documentary Making a Murderer is a good place to go next.
While many people have seen this one already, if you haven’t, it’s worth the watch. It goes into topics such as guilt and innocence and issues with the legal system.
The Cove
Because of the almost cult-like figures in Tiger King, the issue of animal abuse sometimes gets pushed to the background, but it’s still one of the most important themes.
For those who want to explore the impacts of animal entertainment on the animals, The Cove is a good option. This is a tragic documentary that follows the practice of capturing dolphins for use in animal parks and how many dolphins are killed in this pursuit, too. It was made by activist Ric O’Barry, and it’s truly eye-opening.
Wild Wild Country
Another reason that many people were fascinated with Tiger King was because of the personalities of most of these big cat breeders. Most of these people seem to have almost a cult-like following where they groom others around them. Many of them have multiple spouses and seem to have preyed on potential romantic interests from a young age. This calls to mind other cult leaders, so Wild Wild Country is a great documentary to watch.
This is another fascinating Netflix documentary that has many twists and turns as it follows Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the community he built in Oregon.
The Ivory Game
The Ivory Game is another Netflix documentary that deals with animal exploitation. This documentary looks at the horrible practice of poaching African elephants for their ivory.
The filmmakers actually went undercover for over a year to get to the heart of the ivory trade and the corruption involved. If you care about wild animals, you’ll want to watch this one.
Don’t F*** With Cats
Before Tiger King, Don’t F*** With Cats was the Netflix documentary that everyone was talking about. This documentary follows a group of online amateur detectives who launched an investigation to try and identify a man who had been murdering cats on the internet.
Keep in mind, this deals with some pretty heavy subject matter just as many of the documentaries on this list, but it’s particularly hard for many pet owners to watch.
Blackfish
Possibly one of the best-known animal rights documentaries is Blackfish. This documentary follows the treatment of orcas at SeaWorld and gets into the issues of holding these animals in captivity.
The filmmakers interview former SeaWorld trainers as they follow the story of Tilikum, the killer whale who ended up killing a trainer at the Orlando park. It’s a well-made documentary that will make you rethink Patricia's print in sea parks, and it’s perfect for people who care about animal rights.