Netflix doc is a must-watch
Boasting the narration of David Attenborough, Netflix’s latest nature documentary, The Secret Lives of Orangutans, is a well produced and highly engrossing look at the secretive lives of these mysterious great Apes.
The film is shot within Suaq’s forest, a protected refuge for Orangutans where researchers study the behaviour and biology of the Sumatran orangutans. Armed with small drones and a litany of unique filming techniques, this documentary gets us closer than ever before to understanding how these wonderful creatures live. With 200 orangutans watched over the last 30 years by researchers, there’s a lot to unpack and this film does a great job of bringing out the best footage for us to watch.
The central focus stems from a multi-generational orangutan family whom we follow as they live out their lives and try to survive. These three female Orangutans are Friska, who’s now a grandmother, Friska’s daughter Ellie and Ellie’s small child, Eden.
As the film progresses, we see Eden leave home and explore on her own, while Ellie has another child that she raises. However, we also move across to exploring some of the males too, understanding their territorial behaviour and how deadly fights with other males can be. A lot of this is shown through the eyes of Titan, the dominant male showcased here.
Across the film, the usual mix of comedy and drama are interwoven together into a really engrossing format. Attenborough has a way with words and he brings his effortless A-game to this one too. There are some stand-out moments here, including a cheeky segment with a female trying to attract the attention of Titan, who’s having none of it. To contrast that, we then get educational segments like the fascinating way techniques are handed down through generations, including using tools to get food.
As one may expect, a lot of the focus here is on the Orangutans but we also see a little bit of background around Termites (which Orangutans eat), Gibbon Monkeys (who are the Orangutan’s alarm clocks!) and even glimpses of dangerous predators like Vipers. All of this still ties into the theme of Orangutans’ lives but it’s certainly a welcome inclusion.
The filming techniques are as impeccable as ever, and the film does well to tie all of this together with solid editing and some great close-up shots too. This is a really well put-together nature doc and a very easy recommendation. If you’re a fan of nature documentaries, Netflix’s latest is a must-watch.
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Verdict - 8.5/10
8.5/10