Chimp Empire

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

Chimp Empire (2023) is a British nature documentary miniseries created for Netflix, a four-episode limited series with a single season. Narrated by Mahershala Ali, it follows a vast community of wild chimpanzees thriving in a forest in Uganda. Rather than a conventional plot, its engine is the everyday struggle of the group: jockeying for status among its males, protecting young in a family unit, and confronting rival communities over dangerous territory. Each episode builds around these shifting alliances and conflicts, so the animals' lives unfold with the momentum of a patient soap opera. The tone is intimate and awe-filled, with sweeping forest photography that lingers on quiet moments as well as sudden violence. Viewers who enjoy Planet Earth II, Our Planet and Dynasties will find the same blend of cinematic natural history and character-driven storytelling. The result is an accessible, emotionally engaging look at primate life that rewards patient attention and a love of the natural world.

Audiences broadly embrace the miniseries as an acclaimed, immersive natural history portrait of chimpanzee society, with a rating of 8.2/10 from a modest audience.

• Planet Earth IIobservational wildlife documentary, natural world survival, narrated nature storytelling
• Our Planetnature docuseries following animal family dynamics and territorial conflict
• Dynastiesprimate social politics filmed in the wild with cinematic narration

Release Date

2023-04-19

Episode runtime

51 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (55)

What is Chimp Empire about?

A four-episode nature documentary follows a community of wild chimpanzees in a Ugandan forest as they navigate social politics, family ties and territorial rivalry.

What is Chimp Empire like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Chimp Empire as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Chimp Empire violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Chimp Empire as moderate.

What did critics think of Chimp Empire?

Audiences broadly embrace the miniseries as an acclaimed, immersive natural history portrait of chimpanzee society, with a rating of 8.2/10 from a modest audience.

Which shows are like Chimp Empire?

Shows with a similar feel include Planet Earth II, Our Planet, and Dynasties.

How long is Chimp Empire?

Chimp Empire: 1 season, 4 episodes.

Is Chimp Empire still running?

No, Chimp Empire has ended.

Where can I watch Chimp Empire?

In United States, Chimp Empire streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.