In the wake of the pandemic, Tiger King became a cultural phenomenon, and now director Eric Goode is back with a new documentary series that applies the same formula to the world of reptile smuggling. Titled Monsters of God, the show delves into the bitter rivalry between two men who helped kickstart the illegal trade: Hank Molt and Tommy Crutchfield.
A Feud to Rival Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin
Much like the infamous big-cat feud, there is no love lost between Crutchfield and Molt. Hank says Tommy is “one of the angriest and most bitter people I’ve ever met,” while Tommy claims Hank “will turn anything good into bad.” The series, co-produced by Goode Films, HBO, and A24, is based on the 2008 book The Lizard King by journalist Bryan Christy.
The show is packed with wild characters and stories, from cunning smugglers to underworld crime gangs. It also highlights how many legitimate zoos turned a blind eye to the origins of their reptiles, despite growing environmental concerns in the late 60s.
From Mayonnaise Salesman to Reptile Kingpin
Hank Molt, a former mayonnaise salesman, once buried a stash of animals alive in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens to avoid police detection. Tommy Crutchfield, who worked at a Florida establishment called Snake-a-Torium as a teenager, later became the go-to supplier for rare reptiles. He claims to have sold cobras to Hollywood filmmakers and tortoises to Michael Jackson, and bred white albino alligators that sold for £175,000 each.
The first episode culminates in a gruesome, revenge-fueled showdown that serves as the series’ high point. However, the subsequent four episodes lose some momentum, as the story becomes entangled with the drug trade in the 80s and veers into tangential anecdotes.
A Conservationist's Lens
Despite the messy narrative, Goode, a conservationist as well as a filmmaker, ensures the series highlights the impact on endangered species. The final episode focuses on Malaysian dealer Anson Wong and the smuggling that drove the ploughshare tortoise to near-extinction in the wild.
While Monsters of God may lack the tight narrative thread that made Tiger King a binge-worthy hit, it offers a compelling, if sprawling, look at the dark underbelly of the animal trade. The series ends on a note of cautious optimism, suggesting that nature may be healing.
