'The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga' Reviews: "a unique look at the ways people can become radicalized for a cause within the oxygen-free internet echo chamber"

         On December 11, 2024, Netflix released 'The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics. In the series, "An Elvis impersonator's conspiracy theory sets off a feud that spirals into an attempted presidential assassination." But what did the critics say?

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        Andrew Parker of The Gate says, "A wildly entertaining, naturally humorous, and jaw dropping descent into the world of online conspiracy theories, familial rivalries, and Elvis impersonators, Chapman and Maclain Way’s documentary miniseries The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga is the definition of the word flabbergasting. A sprawling stranger-than-fiction yarn revolving a man with a misplaced hero complex who constantly proves to be his own worst enemy (on top of being an annoyance to many caught in his blustery path). The Kings of Tupelo weaves a masterfully told story of deception and hidden truths, but not the ones envisioned originally by the documentary’s (unfortunately) gregarious subject." Adding, "But just when it feels like things have led down the dark path the Ways hinted at early on, the third and final instalment of The Kings of Tupelo masterfully stages a huge rug pull on the viewer and flips everything on its head. I wasn’t entirely familiar with the story at the heart of the Curtis’ case (or maybe I just forgot about it over time), but the third act drops some major bombshells involving another possible conspiracy and a very different kind of impersonation. At this point, The Kings of Tupelo becomes a story that one reporter at the time all of this was going down likened to a Coen Brothers movie, but really it plays more like a shockingly layered, southern fried dipshit version of Inception, where the rabbit hole grows deeper, more large personalities enter the fray, and things become even more baffling. The final episode is a masterfully edited and paced piece of work that hits like the Ways have been sitting on a royal flush since the start and have been bluffing their way towards the biggest payoff with devilishly creative glee. That huge reveal and the film’s elaborately parsed conclusion make the viewer’s investment of time well worth it. But The Kings of Tupelo more poignantly looks at the complicated nature of conspiracy culture. People tend to believe whatever suits their mood, temper, and world outlook, and any bit of validation, enabling, or vindication can lead to a sometimes unwarranted inflation of self-confidence. When someone in this mindset is given an inch, they see acreage. The Kings of Tupelo is a unique look at the ways people can become radicalized for a cause within the oxygen-free internet echo chamber. It’s also hilarious, shocking, and cringe inducing in the most crowd pleasing of ways."