‘Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness’ Follows the Story of a Dark Rivalry

Tiger King Murder Mayhem Madness Netflix
Preview
Netflix

You’ve got to be a special kind of crazy to get close to a 400-plus-pound tiger — and no one is crazier or more special than Joe Exotic (above). The gun-toting, gay, country-singing, polyamorous Oklahoma zoo owner is the focus of a wild new true-crime doc, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.

Filmmakers Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin set out in 2014 to document the world of big cat owners. But the more time they spent with the man and the motley crew of ex-cons and addicts who staffed his animal park, the darker his story became.

Joe’s rivalry with animal-rights activist Carole Baskin (a colorful character herself) eventually culminated in his conviction for hiring a hitman to kill her, and Goode and Chaiklin captured it all.

“It unfolded,” says Chaiklin, “in such an unbelievable way.”

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, Docuseries Premiere, Friday, March 20, Netflix