Badlands, Texas

2015

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
6.9| 0h30m| TV-14| en| More Info
Released: 24 November 2015 Returning Series
Producted By: National Geographic
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/badlands-texas/
Synopsis

The small town of Terlingua, Texas is a little known oasis on the Rio Grande River where eccentric residents trade modern comforts for a unique brand of freedom. But the price of their freedom proves high when a brutal crime threatens to tear their town apart. This true-crime docu-series delves into the eccentric world of Terlingua as its citizens struggle to reconcile the killing of a dear friend and fight to hold the town together as it grapples with change.

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Reviews

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
shutterbug-60246 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.
kris-60713 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.
msmarianne 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.
maryjcabe 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.

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