Fix: Squee!
Platforms: None Currently
Netflix Summary:
Enter stories of the most unlikely cross-species relationships imaginable: a chimp bottle-feeding a tiger cub; a giant tortoise snuggling a baby hippo; a black crow parenting a meerkat. This film will look at these remarkable relationships first hand, and through caregivers, biologists and animal behaviorists, explore what they suggest about the nature of animal emotions.
FYA Summary:
You guys. This is a documentary about DIFFERENT ANIMALS BEING FRIENDS. WHICH IS THE CUTEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO SCIENCE. AND ALSO OUR LIVES.
I mean, what more do you need to know? Except for the fact that the Netflix Summary is a total lie, because there is no chimp bottle-feeding a tiger cub, there is no giant tortoise snuggling a baby hippo, and there is no black crow parenting a meerkat. So yeah, in spite of Netflix being a lying liar, this is still a totally adorable documentary.
Familiar Faces:
The only human being you might recognize is Temple Grandin, a.k.a. the autistic woman that Claire Danes portrayed in an HBO movie.
She’s a total badass and animal expert, and I think it’s pretty cool that she’s in this documentary.
Animal-wise, you might recognize these cuties from YouTube:
Pip the deer and Kate the dog!
Riley the coyote with Anthony the lion!
Kasi the cheetah and Mtani the dog!
Charlie the horse and Jack the goat!
Has your heart exploded yet? Don’t worry, IT WILL.
Couch-Sharing Capability: The More, The Merrier
This movie is like chicken soup for the soul, which means you can watch it by yourself and still feel uplifted. But I recommend viewing it with a couple of bosom buddies, because you’re gonna want to turn to someone and say, “OMG! THIS REMINDS ME OF OUR FRIENDSHIP! Like, we’re so different, yet we totally share a bond, and even if we were born as natural enemies, I got your back in the wild.” You will especially need someone to hug after you watch the story of Charlie, the blind (!) horse and Jack, the goat that leads him around, because TEARS.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Inverse Relationship to Your Education
I’ll admit, I usually head to Netflix when I want to fill my brain with cultural cotton candy. But this documentary actually has a bit of science to it, especially the section about monkeys.* If you want to get your learning on, skip the cocktails and just let the inherent cuteness of the show intoxicate you. But if you don’t care about anything more than DIFFERENT ANIMALS BEING FRIENDS OMG, bottoms up!
*Which I found to be the most boring part, so you can tell how my priorities line up.
Use of Your Netflix Subscription: Squee-Worthy
This documentary isn’t mind-blowing, and it’s certainly not intellectually compelling. But it’s probably the most adorable thing living on Netflix right now, and it sure beats having to click around YouTube and wait through 15 second advertisements just to get your cute fix. I wish there had been more baby animals because BABY ANIMALS, but overall, this show made my heart happy, and with all of the shizz going on in the world, that’s a pretty major accomplishment.
