The HBO Original five-part documentary series Monsters of God, directed by Emmy® Award-nominated filmmaker Eric Goode (HBO’s Chimp Crazy, Tiger King), debuts Friday, 7 August, only on HBO Max. Subsequent episodes will debut Fridays at the same time. The series had its world premiere at the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival where it won the TV Premiere Audience Award.
Filmmaker Eric Goode follows his first love – reptiles – into the dark and gonzo underworld of exotic animal smuggling. In this global network, everyone is chasing the ultimate prize, whether it be owning the rarest of species, claiming the biggest fortunes or taking down the most elusive criminals. The billion-dollar criminal enterprise is fuelled by extreme obsession for these creatures, driving many to push the boundaries of laws and environmental ethics. As he digs deeper, Goode uncovers a labyrinth of outlaw traffickers, bombastic collectors and the dogged law enforcement agents on their tails.
Unfolding over decades, Monsters of God traces the evolution of the reptile trade as it skirts the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and grows into a secretive, high-stakes world of backroom dealings and fanatical collectors. With unprecedented access to the major players, from traffickers to animal enthusiasts to federal agents, Goode unravels a web of larger-than-life characters who run a complex international crime ring. A thrilling exposé of a hidden underworld, Monsters of God warns of the devastating impact of the insatiable desire for the forbidden, and how this mad obsession is pushing some species to the brink of extinction.
Featured participants include reptile dealers, Tommy Crutchfield, Hank Molt, Anson Wong, Ray and Mike Van Nostrand, Mario Tabraue and Beau Lee Lewis; author, Bryan Christy; former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents; reptile collectors; federal prosecutors; customs agents; reptile handlers; former DEA agent, Larry Loveless; zoo officials; snake breeders; and investigative journalist, Steve Chao.
HBO Documentary Films presents Monsters of God, a Goode Films Production and A24 Production, in association with Central Pictures. Directed by Eric Goode; executive producers, Jeremy McBride, Eric Goode, Harry Go, Emily Osborne, Nicole Stott, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Josh Safdie and Kevin Turen; co-executive producers, Harrison Kreiss and Marissa Torres Ericson; producers, Tom Petersen, James Liu, Lissa Rivera, Callie Barlow, Charles Divak, Adrienne Gits and Daniel Johnson. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller and Tina Nguyen.
HBO Original documentary series Monsters of God debuts Friday, 7 August, only on HBO Max.