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Chimp Empire

Chimp Empire

Survival is in our nature.

2023Miniseries1 season4 episodes~50 min/epTV-PGMidcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

A vast community of chimpanzees thrives in a forest in Uganda, navigating complex social politics, family dynamics and dangerous territory disputes.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Chimp Empire?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Chimp Empire streaming on Netflix.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about Chimp Empire?

Chimp Empire earns 4 badges, led by Top 5% of shows and Universally Loved.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Chimp Empire worth watching?

Chimp Empire's Midcredits score is the 95th percentile of all shows, from 4.3K ratings across 2 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

95th percentile

Better received than 95% of shows

93rd percentile among Documentary96th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)91st
Approval (how many liked it)96th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

81 /100

91st percentile of all shows

86th percentile among Documentary92nd percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

92% liked it

96th percentile of all shows

95th percentile among Documentary97th percentile among 2020s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

78th percentile

4.2K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Documentary80th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 4% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A beautifully shot nature series centered on the political and social dramas of a large chimp community in Uganda's Ngogo Forest.

Fans praised

  • Intimate, character-driven storytelling that makes viewers emotionally invested in individual chimps
  • Breathtaking cinematography and immersive footage capturing unprecedented access to chimp society
  • Revelatory parallels between chimp and human behavior, politics, and social dynamics

Detractors panned

  • Fabricated narrative imposes human motivations and fictionalized storylines onto natural footage
  • Censors violence and key events, cutting away from hunts and fights to unrelated filler shots
  • Overlong runtime stretched thin with repetitive content and insufficient substance

What stands out

Cinematography85

universally praised for stunning, intimate footage even by critics

AtmosphereDivisive84

immersion in Ngogo forest praised; some detractors call it just pretty background scenery

Emotional impactDivisive80

fans report deep empathy and catharsis; detractors unmoved by manufactured story

CharactersDivisive78

chimps given names and distinct personalities; detractors say humanization distorts reality

TensionDivisive70

fans riveted by power struggles and territorial conflicts; detractors say war narrative doesn't match footage

OriginalityDivisive64

fans call it groundbreaking intimacy with chimps; detractors say it's unremarkable zoo-like clips

Plot and storyDivisive63

fans praise narrative arc of power struggles and rivalries; detractors call it fabricated storytelling

PacingDivisive48

mixed camp finds it padded; fans love episode length; detractors call it boring and repetitive

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Episodes

1 season

Limited Series · 2023 · 4 episodes

  • S1E1

    Paradise

    Apr 19, 202353 min
  • S1E2

    Others

    Apr 19, 202344 min
  • S1E3

    War

    Apr 19, 202351 min
  • S1E4

    Reckoning

    Apr 19, 202347 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Chimp Empire like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
WarmContemplativeTense
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.WarmTender · 10% of shows
Told as
SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series presents the chimpanzees' lives with respect and engagement, treating their social drama seriously without irony or artifice.
The rideThe series maintains a steady, observant warmth with occasional tension during conflict or danger, but never becomes heavy or shocking.
StructureThe story of the chimp community unfolds across episodes in chronological order as a natural observation, with no unusual narrative devices.
Episode formatEach episode builds on the previous one to tell a continuous story of the chimp community's power shifts and relationships across the season.
Season formatThe series tells one complete arc about the chimpanzee community over four episodes, and has concluded.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves viewers reflecting on the parallels between chimp and human societies, while the natural cycle of conflict and care lingers with a poignant mix of awe and sadness.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a nature documentary series without a conventional narrative arc; it observes the life of a chimpanzee community rather than following a single plot structure.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10% (this title): Community 25% (this title) · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Society

CommunitySurvival · 12% of showsFamily bonds
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores how a chimpanzee community balances cooperation, hierarchy, and competition to survive and thrive.
StanceThe camera observes the chimps' community life without imposing judgment or narrative framing, letting their social dynamics speak for themselves.

The world

ContemporaryWildernessRealistic
Orchestral classicalWorldSupportive music · original score · William Goodchild
Settinga chimpanzee community in a Ugandan forest
MusicWilliam Goodchild's score blends orchestral warmth with African-inspired percussion to enhance the forest setting without dominating.

Content guide

Is Chimp Empire okay for kids?

TV-PG

Chimp Empire is rated TV-PG.

Ratings in 37 other countries
  • UKPG
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany6
  • France10
  • IrelandPG
  • New ZealandPG
  • South KoreaALL
  • Brazil10
  • Austria8
  • Belgium9
  • BG12
  • CLI7
  • Czechia7+
  • Denmark7
  • FinlandK7
  • Greece8
  • Hungary6
  • IDA
  • IndiaU/A 7+
  • IsraelG
  • LTN-7
  • Netherlands9
  • Norway6
  • Poland7
  • PRTV-PG
  • ROUnrated
  • Russia6+
  • SingaporePG
  • SK7
  • South AfricaPG
  • Spain7
  • SwedenFrån 7 år
  • Switzerland12
  • Taiwan6+
  • Türkiye7+
  • VITV-PG

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Chimp Empire have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Chimp Empire?

Cast

Mahershala Ali
as Narrator

Crew

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TMDB's suggestions for shows like Chimp Empire include Earth at Night in Color (2020), Natural World (1983) and Secrets of the Penguins (2025).

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What other shows share a tag with Chimp Empire?

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