We're now in a post-Tiger King world. You've probably read a million articles on what happened to the various people you met in Netflix's latest documentary series, which is about the wild life of big cat owner Joe Exotic. But now it's time to figure out what you'll watch next.
Below, we've rounded up a few favorites that we think you'll want to see, now that Tiger King is done. All of them are on Netflix, except one, which you can stream on Amazon Prime. Not all of them are documentaries, either, as we've made recommendations based on specific elements of the show.
Did you like the true crime elements of Tiger King? We've picked out some hits of that genre, even if the subject matter is vastly different in our selections. Do you like your documentaries with a bit of humor, or do you simply enjoy cats? We've based a few choices around those things too.
Your first stop after this piece should be our list of the best Netflix documentaries, where you'll find a lot of great stuff to watch on the factual side.
Wild Wild Country – if you want another wild ride
Where to stream it: Netflix
If you loved how quickly Tiger King escalated, then you’re going to want to check out Wild Wild Country. Wild Wild Country is a docuseries about Indian guru (and controversial cult leader) Osho, who gathered such a huge number of followers in the ‘80s that he decided to build a utopia in Oregon to house them all. But this wasn’t just made up of tents and camp fires, this utopia was essentially a functioning city complete with an airport. But, of course, Osho’s practises weren’t exactly above board, and that’s when things get truly interesting.
Wild Wild Country will have you wondering how the heck you (probably) never heard about this story before, and have you perplexed at the lengths some people will go to to become (and follow) powerful figures.
American Vandal – if you liked the comedy
Where to stream it: Netflix
Tiger King starts as a show about an eccentric with an eyebrow-raising number of big cats who seemingly just wants to be famous, before it gets darker. The overall larger-than-life quality of the Joe Exotic persona is one way the show gets you hooked.
If you've not seen it yet, mockumentary series American Vandal should be your next stop, if you enjoyed these comedic elements of the show. It's fictional, and therefore gets to be as funny as it wants to be,
The first season is set in a high school where pictures of penises are spray-painted onto every teacher's car, with one slightly wayward student taking the fall for the crime. Did he actually do it, though? The filmmakers in this excellent series investigate, and it's got as many twists and turns as any real true crime series. The second season, set in another school where the entire student body is afflicted by laxatives, is another wild ride with an unforgettable conclusion.
Jenny Slate: Stage Fright – for a wacky biography
Where to stream it: Netflix
Jenny Slate’s standup isn’t just funny – it’s otherworldly. In this hour-long comedy special for Netflix, Slate jokes about paranormal sightings in her childhood home, looking like Anne Frank as a child, and making love to the moon in one beautifully-twisted meditation on the self and way our identity is forged.
It’s very, very weird – but the Netflix format gives us a look behind the scenes too, with interviews with her family and candid moments backstage to show the apparatus behind the fever-pitch humor we get to see onstage.
Cats_The_Mewvie – if you need more cats
Where to stream it: Netflix
The best part about Tiger King is all the b-roll footage of big cats, and if you want a long unbridled look at the best household pet animal, Cats_The_Mewvie is basically 90 minutes of videos of cats.
Well, technically there’s a documentary somewhere here, looking at why cats are so popular in our lives and in online media, but if you can hear that over the ‘awww’ and ‘lookatit!’s of the audience, you really need to turn your TV down.
The Devil Next Door – for true crime intrigue
Where to stream it: Netflix
Perhaps one of the most suspenseful documentaries on Netflix right now, the Devil Next Door follows a Cleveland grandfather and retired autoworker who is accused of being a notoriously sadistic Nazi guard – known as Ivan the Terrible – at the Treblinka extermination camp during the Holocaust.
The Devil Next Door sees John Demanjuk arrested, denaturalized as a US citizen, and extradited to Israel for what was one of the most highly publicized trials of the 20th century. If you loved Tiger King for its true crime intrigue, then The Devil Next Door should be the next show you add to your watch list, even if the subject matter is very different.
Dark Days – if you like documentaries that seem too strange to be true
Where to stream it: Amazon Prime Video
Ever heard of a documentary premise that appears so outlandish that it couldn’t possible be true? Then only to watch the film and find out the harrowing truth? That’s Dark Days in a nutshell.
It’s an unbelievable look at New York City’s homeless community at the turn of the millennium, where a forgotten cohort of rough sleepers have established a literal underground community in a shanty town in the city’s abandoned subway lines. Living their days without sunlight, it’s an eye-opening, often sad, look at what happens to those that society turns its back on. An excellent DJ Shadow soundtrack complements the black-and-white footage.
Making a Murderer – arguably the greatest Netflix documentary series
Where to stream it: Netflix
Making a Murderer was the first big Netflix true crime documentary to really capture the public's attention, sparking wider interest in the genre. Exploring the question of guilt or innocence of the convicted Steven Avery for the murder of young photographer Teresa Halbach, you could argue this show has created a frenzy for the genre that borders on the unhealthy.
It's a very different show in subject matter, tone and seriousness, as you'd expect.
Making a Murderer remains the best true crime documentary on Netflix. You've got two seasons to watch here if you somehow haven't seen it already, and it's very well-made. Be sure to read more background materials on the case once you're done watching.
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