Max has a library of sensational documentaries, but the streaming giant has a new off-the-rails addition with Chimp Crazy from the maker of Netflix mega-hit Tiger King, Eric Goode. He's back with an even more shocking docuseries about keeping animals for fun and profit with subscribers calling it "crazier than Tiger King" (see the post on X below).
Chimp Crazy follows former nurse-turned-exotic-animal-broker Tonia Haddix, who calls herself the "Dolly Parton of chimps" as she cares for animals in captivity. However, her love for one chimpanzee in particular spirals into a cat-and-mouse game with authorities and an animal rights group.
If you've already delved into the dangerous world of Chimp Crazy on one of the best streaming services, we've gathered three more shocking docuseries with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes to watch next - and they make it onto our best HBO Max documentaries list.
Chimp Crazy is one of the wildest things I’ve ever watched. Crazier than Tiger KingSeptember 11, 2024
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
- RT Score: 96%
- Age rating: TV-MA
- Length: ~58 minute episodes
- Directors: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Myles Kane and Josh Koury
When it comes to true crime fans, Michelle McNamara was the top dog. Liz Garbus' I'll Be Gone in the Dark is based on the life and work of late true crime writer McNamara, giving us an insight into the Golden State Killer (also known as the "Original Night Stalker" and "East Area Rapist") and the woman who dedicated years of her life to identify him.
McNamara worked relentlessly to find the man responsible for a series of murders, rapes, and burglaries that terrorized California between 1973 and 1986. A book about her investigation called I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer was released after her death. The docuseries is a loving portrait of a true crime writer, with McNamara's sheer determination for justice proving to be an inspirational watch.
Telemarketers
- RT Score: 96%
- Age rating: TV-MA
- Length: ~58 minute episodes
- Directors: Adam Bhala Lough and Sam Lipman-Stern
If you want a break from all the murder and serial killers that true crime documentaries often provide, HBO's docuseries Telemarketers is bound to shock and enrage you as it exposes a web of elaborate scams at the hands of charity telemarketers. Telemarketers follows two unlikely employees Sam Lipman-Stern and Patrick Pespas who discover the dark truth behind the work they've been doing at a seedy New Jersey call center.
With eyewitness footage and a colorful cast of comedic characters, Lipman-Stern and Pespas set out to uncover the billion-dollar scam that is the telemarketing industry. Amongst the infuriating deceit and exploitation, Telemarketers also offers an enthralling mix of comedy and drama that keeps you hooked.
The Jinx
- RT Score: 90%
- Age rating: TV-14
- Length: ~49 minute episodes
- Director: Andrew Jarecki
Andrew Jarecki's groundbreaking documentary The Jinx sent shockwaves throughout the world with its jaw-dropping conclusion as it explores the bizarre history of real estate tycoon Robert Durst, who has been accused of three murders, but never been convicted. The series centers on his wife's disappearance, the murder of his friend Susan Berman in 2000, and the death of his neighbor.
As well as Jarecki's extraordinary interviews with Durst, The Jinx provides stylish re-enactments similar to a prestige crime drama and powerfully examines three unsolved mysteries that has made it a trailblazer within the true crime genre.
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