Documentary filmmaker Eric Goode has launched Monsters of God on HBO Max, a five-episode series investigating the global illegal reptile trade. Following his previous successes with Tiger King and Chimp Crazy, Goode explores a multibillion-dollar black market that spans from the American South to Malaysia.
From Tiger King to a multibillion-dollar reptile black market
The evolution of Eric Goode’s filmmaking has moved from the eccentricities of big cat owners to the high-stakes violence of international animal smuggling. As reported by the source, Goode first captured global attention in 2020 with Tiger King, which focused on the disturbing world of Joe Exotic, and later explored primate relationships in 2024 with Chimp Crazy.
This new series, Monsters of God, shifts the focus toward a much larger economic engine: the illegal reptile trade. this black market is described as a multibillion-dollar industry that thrives on the movement of exotic species across borders. While his previous work focused on individual personalities, this series aims to expose the systemic violence inherent in the global trafficking of reptiles.
Snake handlers in the American South and Malaysian smugglers
The scope of Monsters of God covers a vast geographical range, documenting the trade from local handlers in the American South to organized smugglers in Malaysia. According to the report, the series introduces viewers to a diverse cast of characters, ranging from self-proclaimed "Lizard Whisperers" to the federal agents working to dismantle these smuggling networks.
By highlighting these different players, the documentary illustrates how the trade operates on both a grassroots and an international scale. The series aims to show how local enthusiasts and professional criminals both contribute to a cycle of exploitation that threatens various species across the globe.
The Turtle Conservancy and Goode's personal history with the trade
Eric Goode brings a unique level of authenticity to the series due to his own complicated history with exotic animals. His fascination with the species began at age six with a lifelong obsession with turtles and tortoises,a passion that eventually led to a personal involvement in the very trade he now documents.
Since 2005, Goode has worked to pivot from his past toward active conservation through the Turtle Conservancy, an organization he founded to protect vulnerable species. The series explores the tension between his former life and his current mission, as Goode grapples with whether his past actions can be reconciled with his current efforts to bring species back from the brink of extinction.
The unresolved morality of the "Lizard Whisperers"
A central tension in the series is the blurred line between passionate animal enthusiasts and criminal traffickers. The documentary leaves viewers to decide where the "Lizard Whisperers" end and the illegal smugglers begin, posing questions about the ethics of owning exotic reptiles at all.
While the series provides a look at the enforcement side through federal agents, it remains unclear how much of the trade is driven by individual collectors versus organized crime syndicates. furthermore , the source does not specify if the documentary provides a platform for the smugglers to defend their actions, leaving the moral weight of the trade primarily in the hands of the audience.
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