They say lightning never strikes twice, but Chimp Crazy may be proof that it can, and with more precision, more ferocity and more perplexity than the first time.
Back in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Netflix subscribers like myself found an unexpected source of entertainment in the infamous Tiger King docuseries (one of the best documentaries on the streamer). I can recall watching the first season with my jaw dropping at each shocking twist. From Joe Exotic’s interesting romantic relationships to the disappearance of Carole Baskin’s ex-husband Don Lewis to the murder-for-hire plot, there were so many moments that had me on the edge of my seat.
Of course, enhancing my Tiger King viewing experience was social media. Since the world was quarantined, millions were watching the show around the same time, offering a slew of comments on various platforms and drafting several think pieces. It was one of those experiences that made you feel left out if you didn't tune in.
Well, perhaps trying to do my duties as a global citizen and make sure people don’t miss out on the next big thing, this is my call to action to tune into Chimp Crazy over on HBO and Max. It hails from the same director/executive producer of Tiger King, Eric Goode, and it's chock-full of animalistic chaos and eccentric human behavior. So much so, that after only an episode, I'm ready to say Chimp Crazy may dethrone Tiger King as the most bizarre documentary I've ever seen.
For starters, in Chimp Crazy the humans who fall in love with the chimps have a much deeper connection with the animals (which may have something to do with the fact the primates tend to be less lethal than tigers when physically approached). Over the course of episode 1, you see or hear about a wide variety of interactions you just don't witness daily. There's one story of a woman breastfeeding a chimp born prematurely to nurse the animal back to health. That tale still has me at a loss for words.
Additionally, many of the chimp owners in the docuseries see the primates as their very own children, citing the fact that unlike their real children, chimps don't tend to grow up and move on with their own adult lives. There's no leaving the nest. Although as pointed out, the older chimps get, the more ornery they can become.
Another intriguing aspect of Chimp Crazy is Tonia Haddix, who is more or less the focal point of the show like Joe Exoctic was in Tiger King. Her love for chimps led her to spend hundreds of thousands on another woman's primate foundation/sanctuary, voluntarily involving herself in a lawsuit going up against PETA and I'll spare you the spoiler of what Tonia does when she suffers a loss at the hands of the animal rights group.
If that weren't enough, Haddix agreed to be filmed for the documentary even as she and the original mother of the chimp craze, Connie Casey, were already leery of cameras after the premiere of Tiger King. Heck, it's the reason a proxy director was brought on board to interact with Haddix, so Goode wouldn't be recognized. Yet, knowing the risk of filming and the exposure it created for Joe Exotic and others of Tiger King, Haddix went ahead with Chimp Crazy anyway. Selfishly, I'm glad she agreed to filming because her personality is certainly a part of what makes the docuseries worth watching.
Beyond the unwavering commitment to chimps on display and Haddix's one-of-a-kind personality, the docuseries is has unexpected stars. For example, I wasn't expecting to see The Traitors US host Alan Cumming. The host/actor is actually giving interviews about the unbelievable story at the heart of Chimp Crazy. I had no idea he was a PETA activist, nor did I know he had a personal connection to chimps. Furthermore, Chimp Crazy reminded me he was in a movie I hadn't seen in years — Buddy.
The other unexpected stars in the docuseries from my vantage point are the chimps. Tonka was also in Buddy and in George of the Jungle (1997). Plus, he's arguably Haddix's "missing" co-star in the show.
Having said all of that, make sure you start watching Chimp Crazy. I could go on and on about how baffling, yet intriguing, is to watch this true story unfold, but this is one of those situations where seeing is believing.
New episodes of Chimp Crazy debut on Sundays on HBO at 10 pm, and on Max at the same time.
