Badlands, Texas (2015–2016) User Reviews

Decent Documentary of small community...that includes a murder

[kris-60713 · 7/10 · 15 January 2016]

I'm not sure if this was first intended to be about the few living in a "ghost town" but they were able to capture an interview with Glenn (victim) then proceeded to tell about his murder and how it affected the community. I agree that it's a slow watch; however, I enjoyed learning more about the people and their struggles, their loyalty to one another, etc. If you're looking for a strictly gory true-crime murder, this isn't the documentary for you. This is a well made insight into a tiny community of interesting people living in an area in Texas that most wouldn't want to stay there for a week. I'm glad I found this on Hulu and learned about this tragedy as well as more about our country.

Cowboy commentary

[mepanioto · 7/10 · 24 June 2020]

I watch this a few years ago and was riveted. Could've been done in a four part series but my favorite was the cowboy commentary. That guy was great. Love to see more of him. I would love to find the clip but I paraphrase-"People often confuse freedom with comfort..." If anyone can quote that accurately, I'd appreciate it. Got admit I had a little crush on Rhonda.

I don't think Flint killed him. Im at La kiva in Terluiga and my boss is dead in a parking lot

[binkstar · 7/10 · 31 May 2016]

At the show opening credits u get the phone call from cook.Now think about this why would he say he found his boss{ IN} a parking lot. Not the parking lot where i work. Now there is a possibility that flint did kick his face in but maybe and i mean maybe the caller could have run him over by accident and put the body back where the skids marks were and the winds or a broom could have easily removed the tire tracks. Now i know its a stretch but if there was a cook there and when he left he may have accidentally ran over a badly beaten man crawling back to the bar but was to messed up and when employee goes home he hits him gets scared and makes the 911 to clear himself. Now i think he's guilty because he kept changing story but is my point valid. Let me Know Sheriff. PS Flint should fry

Great Reality show

[maryjcabe · 10/10 · 15 December 2015]

Badlands, TX has educated me in a lot of ways. First, the story is close to a murder that happened where I live. Second, the effect on the citizens is heart breaking. I have a whole new perspective on this type of death, law enforcement's capabilities, and how people react and evolve through the changing circumstances. I love the slower pace of the narrative and the unfolding of the story. When details are critical to the story line , they need to be presented carefully and the producers have done a good job. Lastly, the characters make me want to move to Terlingua. Each person offers a unique and valuable life story and part of this story of Glenn's death.

I loved this show.

[venturousspt07 · 10/10 · 17 January 2016]

I thought this series was great. The town of Terilingua Texas is raw and gritty and the people in it are that and more. The townsfolk, who depict the story for you, in a narrative way, are raw and gritty, as well as, and philosophical and authentic. The story is about a murder, but also about a town and the effect the murder has had on the town and the people in it. The murder story is a roller coaster ride for sure, but more interesting than that, is the way the town and the people share their stories. The way the story is told, makes the town come to life, for me and the people. It makes me want to see more.I would really like to see more crime stories and reality TV told in this way. More in depth, more colorful, more scenic and most of all, soulful.

and it repeats

[nils-96397 · 4/10 · 1 March 2017]

This is way too repetitive. Basically you can watch the first two and last episode and know what it was all about. Stills are repeating itself way to often. Some scenes are used up to 10 times just to make a point. Sometimes the story line of the interviews doesn't make a sense. Still I admit that there are very interesting characters shown, but the big aha effect about them is missing as well. Nice Texan scenery. One for the Alzheimer's section.

Meh

[msmarianne · 4/10 · 30 December 2015]

This was about the gloomiest, most depressing thing I've ever watched. I grew up in the 70's and remember having this image of Terlingua as being this hip place, synonymous with Willie and Waylon and chili cook offs. I realize the focus was on the murder, but most of the show is the same few characters over and over saying the same thing over and over. Or the guy with the patch on his eye talking about "justice". I think the first 4 episodes could have easily been condensed into one. There were no side notes about the beauty of the place, or old clips perhaps of Terlingua in the 70's. I guess also, no place is ever completely free of crime, as long as people are there, there will be bad apples or horrific things occurring. You have to wonder too, the background of some of the people who want to live so remotely. Kind of like Alaska, many people escape there to avoid consequences of whatever it is they're running away from or at the very least, make it extremely difficult to find them.

Boring and repetitive

[kikajenkins · 4/10 · 7 January 2016]

How many times can people

say the same things over and over?

Watch and find out or don't. You won't be missing anything. The only good thing about the show was the story and the music. The story could've been shared in 2 episodes. It seemed like the same 3 characters said the same things repetitively. Terilingua was a close community and everyone liked Glen. Yes, I get it👏🏻. It would've been a better dateline show. Leave it like that next time unless you have more to the story! The music always pulled me back in. That's all I can say about the show but I can't stop typing because the site says I have to write 10 lines to publish this review. I guess I'll just repeat myself like the show. This show was boring and repetitive. Boring and repetitive. Am I done?

Dragged out way too much....

[K8-S · 4/10 · 15 September 2017]

As previously mentioned, lots of the same stuff is repeated over and over and over again, some of the 'characters' are quite annoying and very anecdotal. The first episode is the characters droning on about how hard life is living there, who cares!!!! They chose to live there. This needs to be condensed into fewer episodes. What was also a little confusing is there's footage of the victim being interviewed along with all the other characters but it isn't made clear initially that he is the victim.

On a positive note, the scenery is spectacular and the story is quite interesting.

Lame Attempt at Cashing In on "Making a Murderer" Style Documentary

[derek_tgc · 2/10 · 6 March 2017]

The producers of this went down to Terlingua after hearing about the brutal murder and picked out a half dozen characters in the town to build the story around What transpires is a disjointed tedious concoction of drunken ramblings of eccentric people. Repetition of the same video footage, cheesy high altitude drone shots, and wildlife clips, combined with irrelevant moments of the everyday lives of the characters who live there, resulted in dragging out this pathetic story outover eight episodes. At times, this documentary seemed like it was nothing more than an audio/video class project for a bunch of high school kids. Rhonda, the cougar character is so wasted in some of the footage, she makes Charlie Sheen's coke infused rants now seem genius.....

Worst documentary I have ever seen

[gypsimgewels · 1/10 · 10 July 2021]

The pacing is very slow and every time a new feeling is presented by a member of the town they each have to take turns sharing the same feelings in their own words so the whole thing feels like it's just repeating over and over. One female citizen seems to make the murder all about how it affects her. The whole story could have been so much more interesting if it could have been less repetitive and shortened down to about an hour instead of five 45 min episodes that all really drug.

Dreary, Depressing and Repetitious

[shutterbug-60246 · 3/10 · 25 December 2017]

I visited the Big Bend area in late October 2017. Frequent stops at the only gas station in Terlingua were a feature of this visit, as well as a breakfast or two at its built-in cafe. I knew nothing of the crime or this Nat Geo series at the time. I found it after coming back from the trip.

One other reviewer described this as the 'gloomiest, most depressing thing I've ever watched'. I cannot agree more. The sad truth is that the reality of Terlingua is every bit as depressing as this show. Two things about this series:

1. Since clips of an interview with Glen Phelps were included in the series, one can only assume this started out as a series on Terlingua itself, and before the video work completed (or even begun) the entire focus of the series shifted to the murder and the trial. It might have actually been a better, more focused product had the crime not got in the way.

2. The continual re-use of certain scenes, along with the lengthy and depressing intro, leaves the impression that the producers had barely enough material to fill out the eight episodes, and had to 'pad' the episodes with this stuff to get through each hour.

Terlingua is the last place anyone but a misfit would seek out and gravitate to as a place to live. It is one of those few places in the United States that is one step removed from being a Third World environment. God help anyone with an injury or a medical condition requiring immediate attention.