In the aftermath of Tiger King's release on Netflix, the documentary completely dominated the pop-culture discourse. However, one benefit that did come from it was the focus that it placed on animal cruelty.
For all its absurdity, Tiger King shone a light on the exploitation of big cats in captivity – in particular, the recent phenomenon of breeding tiger cubs for photo ops and other “novelty” experiences.
Granted, not every person involved in the documentary treated the animals cruelly, however, there's no denying that animal abuse and an extensive network of breeding and selling tigers was prevalent.
Throughout the feature, various interviewees said they overlooked the bizarre behaviour of Joe Exotic simply because they loved the animals. However, these are still wild and dangerous animals that were torn from their mothers immediately after birth and placed into a life of stress and abuse.
On that note, this sense of detachment to the dangers and ferociousness of wildlife is prevalent throughout Werner Herzog's incredible documentary, Grizzly Man.
In terms of the story that's being told, the documentary revolves around Timothy Treadwell, an amateur grizzly bear expert who periodically journeyed to Alaska to study and live with the bears. The outdoorsman and author - along with his partner, Amie Huguenard - was eventually killed and devoured by one of the very animals to whom he had devoted years of study.
The documentary includes some of Treadwell's own footage of his interactions with grizzly bears before 2003, and of interviews with people who knew or were involved with Treadwell, as well as professionals dealing with wild bears.
Simply put, the footage that's captured is astonishing as Treadwell gets closer than any person should ever be to these majestic and dangerous animals.
However, there's also a sense of dread that lingers throughout every frame of the documentary because you know that tragedy is imminent.
Since being released in 2005, the film has become one of the best-reviewed documentaries of all time and it currently holds a rating of 87% on Metacritic and 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here's what some of the critics had to say about Grizzly Man.
Washington Post - "A small masterpiece of a documentary that takes us into the heart of complex darkness."
Empire - "A complex, unique and engrossing journey into the murky recesses of an unhinged mind. It really needs to be seen to be believed."
Entertainment Weekly - "A mesmerising work of disturbing power and unease."
Los Angeles Times - "Shows and tells an astonishing story, a disturbing and provocative tale of obsession, bravado and self-invention that leaves you open-mouthed for all kinds of reasons."
BBC - "German auteur Werner Herzog pieces together the remarkable footage Treadwell left behind into a superb portrait of a fractured obsessive living literally on the edge."
Toronto Star - "[Treadwell] left behind 100 hours of some of the most astonishing nature footage ever captured by camera."
Grizzly Man is now available to watch on Amazon Prime and it's definitely worth checking out.
Here's a look at what's in store.
Clip via YouTube Movies
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