The Most Dangerous Animal of All (2020) User Reviews

Not a crime doc series about the potential identity of the Zodiac.

[Opinate · 5/10 · 8 August 2020]

I watched this doc thinking it was about unmasking the Zodiac killer. It is not. It is about an abandoned boy's longing to find his missing father which turns to obsession. The first three episodes are gripping if you think you are about to see the Zodiac unveiled, then the bubble is burst in the fourth episode when you discover you have been led down a path on which the author and the perpetrator of the lie himself have been lost using the same erroneous conclusions based on misleading misinformation.

A big disappointment for any viewer, unless you watch to see a sad man waste his life fooling himself with his own lies. In the end I felt for him, but more felt disgust that the filmmakers would profit from this broken man's story and would waste our time on it.

Gary, please seek help

[ealbaugh · 7/10 · 27 September 2020]

When I first found this I got super excited and after the first episode I was somewhat hooked. Thanks to the reviews and spoilers here I was able to watch it from a different angle and not feel like I wasted four hours of my life. Do yourself a favor and go into it knowing you're not going to find any conclusion to the Zodiac killings. Instead look at it from a psychological prospective.

Gary, if you read these and I have a feeling you do, please seek help from a therapist.

Post-Book Material Lessons The Spectre Of The Case Considerably

[zkonedog · 7/10 · 19 March 2020]

A few years ago, upon reading the book version of "The Most Dangerous Animal of All", I came away fairly convinced of the point that author Gary Stewart was trying to make, mainly that his birth father (Earl Van Best, Jr.) was the notorious, never-apprehended Zodiac Killer of San Francisco. Through the first three episodes of this docudrama version, I had a similar feeling. In a major letdown, however, the final episode really picks apart Stewart's arguments and shows how infighting or leaps in logic plague his overall case.

As I said, the first three episodes here really focus on Stewart's story, from simply trying to identify his birth father (after being abandoned as an infant) to further digging showing a potential link to the Zodiac murders. That fourth episode, though, deals primarily with the post-book fallout and casts a large pall over all that came before it. While I'm certainly glad that Stewart's claims are being questioned, don't get me wrong on that point, it is just supremely disappointing to see all the ways in which the air can be let out of the balloon.

In sort of a double-whammy, even the emotional side of Stewart's lineage journey comes off a bit flat. Through words on a page, it is easy to root for him in a very sympathetic way considering how emotionally mistreated he was by both birth parents. But "in the flesh", if you will, Stewart appears as much argumentative or obstinate as any sort of figure worthy of emotional investment. Again, this is especially true in episode four, where he has few answers or rebuttals to the claims against Earl Van Best, Jr. Being Zodiac.

All of the above being said, "The Most Dangerous Animal of All" is still a compelling story. Even with the dousing of cold water, Stewart brings up some points and connects enough dots that he shouldn't be dismissed outright. But overall, if you read the book and were really taken in (as I was) by the Stewart/Van Best, Jr. Story, this docu-series version will again reel you right in--only to throw you quite a narrative curveball in the end.

No evidence = No case closed

[asclepias45 · 9 March 2020]

Stewart's claims are all based on wild, zero evidence claims like: My dad lived within 100 miles of the Zodiac Killer crime scenes- therefore he must be the Zodiac or My dad looks like the artist's sketch of the Zodiac because he had glasses and a 1960's mens haircut- therefore he's the Zodiac. The only redeeming quality of the show is that in the end, it debunks Stewart's claims.

1. The DNA sequence numbers were not released to the public .Debunking Stewart's claims of a DNA match.

2. The Zodiac fingerprints are so bad quality that no serious forensic expert can use them to find a match. Plus Stewart compared the wrong fingers!

3. Stewart's handwriting analysis is bogus because as it turns out the hand writing that supposedly matches the Zodiac's actually more matches the hand writing of the minister that filled out Stewart's father's marriage certificate. When this was revealed, we hear the preposterous theory that maybe the minister and Stewart's father were co-Zodiac Killers ! LOL.

Gary Stewart's theory TOTALLY discredited!

Wild Ride Series Based On Flawed Book

[AudioFileZ · 6/10 · 27 July 2020]

This is a kind of wild ride. A man named Gary Stewart was abandoned as an infant and adopted. He has a good upbringing and as kind of needed closure to lingering abandonment issues he goes on to find who his birth parents were. His birth mother is alive and his father turns up deceased. Nothing here is wild or particularly unusual. A book this hardly makes thus if this was where this story ends there would be no FX series.

What actually happens is Gary's birth was quite the horror story in that his 15-year mother was more or less willingly kidnapped by a 28-year old psychopathic man whose name was Earl Van Best Jr. Judi, Gary's mother, was willingly kidnapped at least three times as a minor by Van Best. This resulted in their permanent separation and Van Best serving prison time. This actually makes a compelling story of abhorrent pedophile and his victims one of which was Gary Stewart.

The thing that blows this over the top is the fact Gary becomes convinced his father was not your typical pedophile but the even more horrific Zodiac Killer. Gary becomes so obsessed with this idea it takes a heavy toll on his personal life as he takes a deep dive into researching his father. He seems to manipulate his findings to support his fervent belief that his dad was the iconic killer of the unsolved Zodiac murders. He partners with a true crime writer who buys his research as legitimate and accurate. The book becomes a best seller to great controversy. The controversy only grows after the book is more scrutinized as it becomes evident Gary manipulated his research perhaps on purpose, maybe not? None the less much fails to hold up on the most accurate review.

This could make the FX series the last word exposing a flawed book as it shows the story warts and all. In this regard it has value and is intriguing. It proves that Earl Van Best may only be a very bad pedophile whose son has suffered greatly. In the end though it still leaves a crack open in which there is a sliver of possibility Earl Van Best Jr. shouldn't be eliminated wholesale as a potential suspect for Zodiac. After all the prime suspect Arthur Lee Allen has never been proven. This is just a wild ride in the end I'd say that was worth a watch even though Van Best Jr. is not highly likely to be the Zodiac. To the serie's credit it clearly states this.

A twisted tale of self-discovery

[hprashantarora · 7/10 · 12 March 2020]

"The Most Dangerous Animal of All" is a well-made docuseries that grips you from the get-go. The dismal reviews on IMDB could be due to the disappointment some viewers might have felt upon realizing that this series is not what they thought it would be.

The series takes great pain in meticulously recreating the monumental research led by Mr. Stewart in unearthing who his father was - was he the infamous serial killer, Zodiac, or was he a mentally disturbed man who happened to have lived a rather peculiar parallel life with the real Zodiac? He carries deep mental scars related to abandonment by his father, broken personal relations, and, most importantly - shattered self-identity. I was moved by Gary Stewart's unrelenting pursuit to discover his origins. He worked hard in order to prove to himself that his present self is a manifestation of the actions of a deeply disturbed individual. I was disappointed when it is subsequently revealed that he might have made critical errors in coming to that judgment. There are some compelling pieces of evidence presented that almost had me convinced that his father was indeed the Zodiac. Then the director introduces you to facts that make you realize that Gary had and is still being sucked into a deep rabbit hole. It is heartbreaking to see his inability to walk away even when critical facts, as and when presented, contradicts the complex narrative that he has created over the past seventeen years. Events are presented based on the book, and once the thread of unbelievable coincidences is put under the microscope, the facade begins to crumble. Even the co-author of Gary's book is eventually left flabbergasted.

The technical aspects of the series are solid - the sense of foreboding, moody lighting, chilling sound design, surreal reenactments, scenes of forensic importance - are all done very well. They all seem appropriate for the dark subject matter of a series that dares to support and then tear down an unbelievable theory that left the experts scratching their heads.

I'll highly recommend this program if you are interested in discovering how far a broken spirit will go, even at the expense of coming across as self-serving, for a peaceful resolution that is still far from having been achieved. It seems Gary Stewart wants to catch lightning in a bottle; he wants to own a phantom and make it known to the world as his unfortunate destiny. Unfortunately, it is abundantly clear that it is not the case.

Fraud

[billsoccer · 6/10 · 11 March 2020]

The first 2 episodes laid a very thick case for the premise. However, the 3rd started to puncture that balloon. The fourth episode made me think we've been misled the entire time. Clearly, this mans father wasn't the Zodiac and if you're like me, you'll resent the way this was presented - just for ratings?

Intriguing but tragic...

[maryskywalker11 · 7/10 · 28 March 2020]

I love true crime and have for years, so I've been enjoying all of these shows coming out now in the wake of the current true crime "craze." This show was no exception...it drew me in and had me hooked. I was fully willing to believe Gary and his theory about his father Earl Van Best...unfortunately none of it is true.

What I took away from this series is that Gary isn't necessarily a liar, but he is someone struggling to come to terms with deep seeded generational trauma and abandonment. It left me wondering if he'd ever sought out therapy or counseling before he decided to fall down this rabbit hole of claiming his father was the Zodiac? The lengths he went to and the sacrifices he made, not to mention the tremendous hurt he left behind him in his path made it him much different from his father. Abandoning children, wives, family, making his biological mother relive the trauma of an abusive marriage...and for what? To chase down this desperate need to feel something? In the end...even he admits, it will never satisfy and never be enough. If nothing else Gary is broken and selfish. And that is truly tragic.

In conclusion - the story is wrapped up nicely and presented well - hence the good rating. But don't flatter this man with your time. There's plenty of other shows out there to watch.

A true warning tale about getting wrapped up in a mystery

[tmdarby · 8/10 · 11 August 2020]

I thought this was a very good mini-series. It's clear a lot of the reviews here come from people that didn't watch the whole thing. It's very clear that both authors involved realized they made a mistake. The point of the mini-series is to show how easy it is to get wrapped up in a mystery like this and make your evidence fit. I felt bad for him. I don't believe he was intentionally trying to deceive anyone. He genuinely believed his father was the Zodiac and it's clear he wasn't.

So I enjoyed it buuuut

[alyssadeseta · 7/10 · 1 April 2020]

Definitely entertaining and I think it's a well made docuseries but I truly believed I was watching something that was actually relevant to solving who the Zodiac is and what I got was a man with massive abandonment issues who twisted a story and added his own details to fill the void in his soul. I hope he seeks help and stops letting the past run his life for him.

I really can't stand this guy!

[bbiddle-1 · 1/10 · 25 March 2022]

Potential viewers: If you need an outlet to vent your frustrations, by all means watch this series. I dare you to try and not heckle the subject.

This is not a documentary about a guy finding out his father was the Zodiac killer. This is a documentary about a narcissist's obsession to convince the world that his father was the Zodiac killer.

At first this series seems like a run of the mill true crime documentary. Gary is looking into his birth parents to discover his family history. Cool. He finds out his father was an abusive pedophile, who abandoned him and abducted his teenage mother. Gary's abandonment issues are magnified, and he suddenly sees his father as a villain. Interesting, gripping. I'm in. Then...

Gary sees a police sketch of the Zodiac killer on a tv show, and he is struck by how much his father looks like the sketch. He compares the sketch to a photo of his father, and thus he begins his great years-long crusade to prove his father and the Zodiac killer are one and the same.

Some "evidence" seems compelling. Then we get some cool coincidences. Questionable theories. The further we go the more tenuous his connections become. Soon, rut-roh, we are in wild claims territory. We are quickly rolling downhill gathering bulls*^t.

Of course I'm leaving out details here; watch for yourself. The point is, from the moment Gary sees that sketch on tv, the seed is planted in his head and the obsession grows quickly: his father = Zodiac. He will prove this theory at all costs, to the point of alienating multiple spouses and betraying his own mother.

How narcissistic can you get? Is this not a sign of sociopathy? Is it for fame? Money? Proving others wrong and yourself right? Dude went and made up a fictional backstory for himself and published it for all the world to see, then cut off his own mother when she didn't back him up. So... he chose his supposed serial killer father over his living breathing mother who loved him and wanted to be part of his life. Wow. Just. Wow.

In summation: If you want to watch something that is actually good, find something else. Gary is a despicable person, and unless you plan to call him names and throw popcorn or something else non-damaging at the screen while watching, he is not worth your time.

I don't usually claim other people missed the point of a film but here we go.

[amea_gari · 9/10 · 24 June 2020]

The number of reviewers who missed the POINT of this documentary is painful to behold. This documentary is not about solving the Zodiac case. A lot of these reviewers also seem to be reviewing the people in the documentary rather than the documentary itself. The documentary is telling a story ABOUT these people, it's not a platform for their beliefs.

You'll learn a lot by watching this, just drop your preconceived notions about what it is. No one's duping you here, you're duping yourselves by dgoingin assuming this is something it isn't.. This documentary makes an incredibly important point, one that is as profound right here and now in the US than it has ever been.

I bet these same people would say "Dear Zachary" duped them.and they want their money back.

Gary needs serious help.

[jfh-72320 · 7/10 · 19 April 2020]

While there are some interesting things in this show, Gary has serious physiological issues and needs help. His obsession ruined what, 6 marriages?

Sure, there are some ingesting coincidences, but some are just plain ridiculous. Randomly picking out letters, in no sequence, from a cypher, to find a name for one. Heck, my name could be found in the letters that way.

Gary...please get some mental help.

[aevaughn-77305 · 3/10 · 25 March 2020]

This was sad - on a deep level. Gary (the main character) was so mentally and emotionally unstable, that by the 2nd episode, I was done watching it. Seeing this obsessive man justify his his issues by calling it "I have to find my father"...so much so that he literally ruins every single relationship in real life in order to feed a delusion all to try to make the Zodiac killer "fit" his narrative and allow him to be SOMEBODY (after what obviously is debilitating low self esteem). His poor wife HAS to be a victim of emotional and verbal abuse...smh. No adult that broken or obsessive has ANY healthy relationships - I'm sorry.

We believe what we are shown

[mike_uk_1984 · 7/10 · 14 May 2021]

This documentary proves that; 1. We believe the evidence that is given to us and we trust that is credible and has credible sources.

2. We find enough pieces and we make them fit.

You really want to believe he is the Zodiac serial killer after all these years

[Ed-Shullivan · 7/10 · 15 June 2020]

A lot of effort went into this documentary fluff piece so I do not want to come down too hard on the filmmakers and narrator Gary L. Stewart, who claims that his father may have been the Zodiac killer. Sometimes an obsession just gets the better of a person.

I must say that I enjoyed this documentary and in all fairness the documentary did indicate some of the flaws in Gary L. Stewart's claims.

Intrigue and the mystery surrounding who is the Zodiac serial killer has been high for decades and the pieces of the story we do know about him have been captured in a few crime films over the decades. This documentary provided some insight I was not previously aware of, and Gary L. Stewart may be a bag of emotions, but kudos to him and the production team for making a decent four (4) part documentary on the infamy of the Zodiac serial killer.

I give it a 7 out of 10 IMDB rating.

Worth a FREE watch ONLY!

[mlambertvaus · 6/10 · 16 April 2020]

I could go through a long list of what I truly think about the lack of integrity and emotional stability of both the son here who tried to desperately make people believe that his biological father was the Zodiac killer and the co-author who claims to be a thorough investigative writer. But upon reading all the other reviews here I see that most other reviewers have already said most of what I would say concerning the both of them and there validity. I will add that I feel that the way the son and the author released this made-up scenario without getting the approval of his biological mother and by casting doubt on her former husband (the fist black chief of police ever in San Francisco and even suggesting that he may have purposefully covered up the true identity of the Zodiac killer was unforgivable! I will reiterate that the son here who seems so badly to want to make his biological father be a horrid serial killer needs serious psychological treatment and may be trying to connect his own dark, inner feelings with that of a deranged serial killer! I'll also will add that I will never be duped into buying any so-called "Fact based book" by the female coauthor here!

Once you go down the rabbit hole. . .

[sailorjjr · 6/10 · 25 July 2022]

I feel hoodwinked by this one. It's the last 15 minutes where we find out that the 3 hours that went before was all smoke and mirrors.

I will say that I have experienced a "similar" thing years ago. I'm a bit of a gum shoe and get some enjoyment out of trying to solve a mystery.

Years ago I was at a party and a buddy of mine came up to me and pointed out this guy that was dating his sister. He swore to me that this guy told his sister that he was, in fact, Bryan Brown (Cocktail and other movies). The second he told me that, your brain starts to formulate all these different potential scenarios. You start to think, "yea, he looks like him." LOL.

Long story short. I got obsessed with finding out if it could be true. I never really got an answer, but I thought the guy was telling a lie. But, I don't really know. To this day I wonder.

Once your mind sets a course, it's almost impossible to change it.

Really powerful documentary about how creative we are if we want to prove we mean something

[heartvart · 10/10 · 9 January 2021]

Have read some reviews giving a low rate to this documentary... Seems that people misunderstood the plot and the goal of it. The film was not meant to be in support of Gary, it was not made by Gary.

To me, it is a great film which shows in the real life what happens when a man seeking for love and approval of his mom or reasons for his failures finds a strange answer to all of his questions and starts building evidence around it. And the film shows very well how you can fool yourself and the others doing this.

You go from sympathising the guy to feeling sorry for him seeing how he has twisted the reality for himself and others connected.

The best part is when it's over.

[Whitney_T · 3/10 · 14 March 2020]

Be prepared for 4-hours of an emotionally-damaged cast with deep-rooted self-esteem issues. None of whom seem to care about each other's well-being, but only about their own reputations and egos. I can appreciate the fact that the documentary came full-circle and didn't try to sell you on a single idea necessarily, but it was 4 hours wasted all the same.

Con Man

[barbstetter · 8/10 · 20 February 2021]

My deepest condolences to the family of this disturbed man. I tried to feel sympathy but sadly just found him to be too false starting in the 2nd episode. His disregard for the damage he was inflicting on those closest to him in his mad quest has convinced me that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

delusional

[natemansur · 3/10 · 22 March 2020]

Gary is a delusional fool who desperately wants to be relevant. Now of his facts add up and Susan D. Mustafa has zero credibility. She claims to be a fact finder author yet she took everything at face value from Gary until she gets challenged here and turns her story around.

Well-made piece of entertainment

[nahumthebest · 8/10 · 7 February 2021]

This 4-ep mini-series was well-made, in my opinion.

Kept me glued to my seat for the first 3.5 episodes. The last 1/2 of the 4th ep. caused me to deduct 2 stars.

Overall, it was entertaining and well produced.

Unhinged man claims father is zodiac

[kjwilson75 · 3/10 · 14 March 2020]

What starts as a cautionary tale as to how it is dangerous to start an investigation after already drawing your own conclusion devolves into the nonsensical ravings of someone desperate for fame. He is clearly NOT an impartial investigator but rather someone desperate to prove his own theory and sell books. Case in point with his "proof" that he pulled from the cypher. He attacks anyone with differences of opinion or actual facts that disprove his claims rather than respond with evidence of his own. He claims a police investigator would actually coverup the identity of a famous serial killer rather than bring the information to light and become the most famous cop in america. The lunatic even bought glasses to make himself look like the composite sketch of the zodiac. He is clearly sick and perhaps that's why women keep divorcing him and because of his fear of abandonment. The only person who "believes" him is the AUTHOR WHO JUST WANTS TO SELL BOOKS.

Good doco, flawed humans

[ben_macellen · 8/10 · 15 April 2024]

I enjoyed this 4 part doco as much as you can "enjoy" something that's based on a man's deep seated issues of abandonment, and the real life victims of a serial killer, and how these stories appear - at first - to intersect.

I thought the doco was well constructed and paced. I did feel for Gary's birth mother Judy, who was 14 at the time she was groomed and ostensibly kidnapped by Gary's father. It appears she was a rebellious teen, and no doubt made some stupid choices, but it was sad to think Gary expected his 15 year old mother (in an abusive relationship) would have the commonsense and ability to make better decisions.

My heart goes out to Gary, who has been consumed by his feelings of abandonment, and by his own admission has hurt others before they hurt him. (This, I think, includes hurting his mother by not telling her about the book and betraying her conversations.)

I hope Gary gets some psychological help and focuses his energies on something other than the zodiac killer and his father. Perhaps, after all these years, he could put that passion into helping other adoptees or abandoned children feel better about themselves, regardless of their heritage/lineage.