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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Murders in the Zoo remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like your pre-code horror with a side of actual wild animals and a villain who is so petty he’s practically radioactive, watch it immediately. If you need a movie to be logical, or if you get squeamish about how they treated animals in 1930s Hollywood sets, you should probably skip it. It’s barely an hour long, so you don't have much to lose.
Lionel Atwill is the whole show here. He plays Eric Gorman, a guy who runs a zoo like he’s trying to punish the entire world for existing. He doesn't just get mad when his wife looks at another man; he gets creative. Like, 'sew the guy's mouth shut' levels of creative. It’s gross, it’s mean, and it’s weirdly fun to watch him try to keep a straight face while doing these things.
There is a scene involving a crocodile that I’m still thinking about. The way the camera just sits there, watching the water, is way more effective than any jump scare they’d throw in today. It’s quiet. It’s heavy. You can tell they actually had those animals right there on the set, which gives the whole thing a sweaty, dangerous edge you don't get with CGI.
The pacing is a bit of a mess, honestly. It jumps from a fancy dinner party to a jungle expedition without so much as a breath. It feels like the editors were just as frantic as the main character. Sometimes the dialogue feels like it’s being read off a cue card from across the room, but then Randolph Scott shows up to provide some much-needed 'normal human' energy.
I found myself comparing it to other period pieces, though nothing quite hits this specific level of insanity. It’s got that same slightly staged, theatrical stiffness you might remember from Little Women, but instead of sisters being sweet, everyone is trying not to get eaten by a boa constrictor.
Some observations from the 'notes' I scribbled:
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s a B-movie with a mean streak. But for a film made in 1933, it’s got a pulse that a lot of modern thrillers are missing. Sometimes, simple cruelty is more interesting than a complex plot twist.
It’s just wild that they let this get made. It feels like a fever dream you’d have after eating too much cheese before bed. Don't go looking for deep themes here, just enjoy the chaos of a man who really, really hates his wife's social life. 🐍
IMDb 6.2
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