Secret Lives of Orangutans, now streaming on Netflix, is the latest nature documentary to feature the rich, evocative narration of David Attenborough as it observes a group of orangutans living amidst the tall trees and swampy forest floor of their increasingly endangered Sumatran habitat. Drones and other new techniques allow film crews greater access to the orangs, who live most of their lives at the top of the forest canopy, and Secret Lives follows individuals old and young, male and female, as they source meals and interact socially, even as the threat of encroaching human development threatens their protected region. Grab your stick of termites and settle in.  Â
SECRET LIVES OF ORANGUTANS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?Â
The Gist: As one of their last protected strongholds, the Suaq forest of northern Sumatra is home to the highest density of wild orangutans on the planet. As their endangered status and the thin strip of the Linmbang River keeps humans out, the orangs of Suaq have developed a heightened sense of sociability, and remarkably, use toolmaking to help in their daily, neverending search for food. âThe use of tools is rare among orangutans elsewhere,â David Attenborough tells us. âBut not here.â And we watch as a senior ape named Friska skillfully transforms a stick into a vessel for consuming termites. Mmm, termites. Delicious. But there are over thirty different species of the insect in Suaq, and those churning columns of little guys are as crucial to the forestâs ecosystem as the activity of the orangs. Youngsters like Eden, Pepito, and Sulli look on as Friska and her daughter Ellie fashion sticks to extract nutritious seeds from fruiting cemanang trees. Itâs a skill issue that takes years to learn. But even after the apes chew the seeds, they germinate in the swampland that forms Suaqâs forest floor. And life goes on.
Whatâs that guttural call emanating through the forest canopy? Itâs the long call of Split Lip Otto, who as a fully grown adult male has developed the pronounced cheek pads known as flanges. These help him communicate across great distances, and throw his weight around as king in these parts. But Otto has competition from other flanged males, in particular Titan and Raku, and over a period of months Secret Lives of Orangutans tracks the progression of their dominance rituals. âCombat risks injury or worse,â Attenboroough notes; âflanged males will only fight if they have to.â And when it comes down to it, leaves and branches fly at the top of the forest. Thereâs always another comer to the throne, so these king males must stay vigilant.
With its drone tech, Secret Lives also gives us a good look into how orangutans construct their tree-bound nests, a daily activity unique in style to each individual that has traditionally been difficult to document. We see a baby boy orang, Emen, as he naps while clutching the belly of mother Ellie, who leaps from tree to tree with ease. And we follow Ellieâs eight-year-old daughter Eden as she makes the instinctual move toward greater independence from her mother. Itâs all happening in Suaq, where thirty years of scientific research has identified over 200 individual orangutans in their daily lives.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of? Secret Lives of Orangutans producer-director Huw Cordey also directed Dancing With the Birds, a documentary about tropical avians narrated by Stephen Fry. Netflix includes the docuseries Our Living World, with narration from Cate Blanchett, and of course season 2 of the Our Planet series, which continues to feature that Attenborough narrative juice.
Performance Worth Watching: Gotta give it up for the wise Suaq veteran Friska, who at 60 years old watches over two generations in daughter Ellie, granddaughter Eden, and numerous other orang grandchildren.
Memorable Dialogue: Incoming fast fact about how male orangutans communicate; take it away, David Attenborough: âLong calls are not just about power and territory. Scientists have recently discovered they also communicate future travel plans. Titanâs call tells other orangutans in which direction heâll be traveling, even into the next day. Fair warning to any other flanged male in his path.â
Sex and Skin: One of the reasons for the long auburn hair that covers orangutansâ gray skin is to help them differentiate individuals, especially when trying to keep track of everybody in the midst of a leafy forest canopy.
Our Take: Secret Lives of Orangutans renews the wonder of contemporary nature docs like the Our Planet series, where the incredible proximity to these animalsâ lives can almost be taken for granted. Watching Ellie the orangutan drift easily from tree limb to tree limb, calculating the risk of her weight against the strength of each branch, and managing to slap away the reaching hand of her daughter who must establish her own independence if sheâs gonna survive, it can almost feel like weâre hanging out in the crook of a tree across from them. Figure in David Attenboroughâs detailed, character-defining narration, and Secret Lives becomes an engrossing trip to Sumatra and its Suaq forest, with the benefit of multiple great ape factoids being thrown into the mix. Donât tell us you already knew that a seasoned flanged male orang like Titan was out here imprinting mental maps of tree locations across an expanse of his habitat, and selecting his movements to those food sources based on his understanding of fruitsâ seasonal ripeness.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Who doesnât love an immersive nature doc? Secret Lives of Orangutans is definitely that as David Attenboroughâs attentive narration helps illuminate the lives and habits of the endangered great apes of northern Sumatra.
Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.
The post Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Secret Lives Of Orangutans’ on Netflix, A David Attenborough-Narrated Doc About The Endangered, Tree-Dwelling Great Apes appeared first on Decider.
