Max’s new documentary with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is an outlandish real-life version of Succession. For four seasons, the HBO series explored the Roy family’s prolonged succession battle over Waystar Royco, the business conglomerate founded and run by Logan Roy for several decades. With the patriarch’s declining health, his children, traumatized by a childhood of neglect and abandonment, scheme their way to take over the reign from their father. The Succession season 4 cast steered the finale to a messy, complex, yet ultimately satisfying ending to what is considered one of the best HBO original series of all time.

Created by Jesse Armstrong, Succession was a satire on the super-rich, providing unprecedented access into behind-the-scenes struggles within such families and the office politics of massive business empires. Succession‘s Roy family is based on the Murdochs, the real-life family of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, drawing on their most prominent business deals and scandals. What made every Succession season so brilliant was its layered writing and razor-sharp humor. The Succession series finale brought the show to a bitter and perfect close. Now, this new documentary on Max seems to be an absurd real-life rendition of Succession.

Max’s Ren Faire Documentary Is A Real-Life Renaissance Version Of HBO’s Succession

There Are Several Narrative & Character Parallels

Max’s documentary series Ren Faire is a real-life version of Succession set in the whimsical world of the Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF). Directed by Lance Oppenheim, the three-part docuseries follows George Coulam, the eccentric founder and ruler of TRF, who mirrors Logan Roy’s authoritative and often tyrannical leadership. Known as “King George” to his employees, Coulam’s reign is marked by control and utter disdain for conventional governance. His vision for TRF is as eclectic as it is grand, blending medieval Europe with Victorian England and the Wild West.

As he approaches 86, George seeks to pass on his legacy, aiming to spend his remaining years indulging in art and personal pursuits. However, his inability to trust or fully empower others casts a shadow over his succession plans. Enter Jeff Baldwin, George’s chosen heir and a 43-year veteran of the festival, whose struggle for approval echoes Kendall Roy’s quest for validation in Succession. Jeff’s dedication to the festival and its immersive theatrical experience contrasts with his managerial challenges, from handling employee grievances to dealing with public relations crises.

His ambition and loyalty are put to the test by Louie Migliaccio, the ambitious “Lord of the Corn,” whose modernizing vision for TRF includes technological innovations and expansive new projects. Louie’s corporate mindset and strategic maneuvering introduce a rival dynamic reminiscent of the power plays within the Roy family in Succession. The tension between these key players, coupled with George’s unpredictable leadership, creates a dramatic and thrilling portrayal of power, ambition, and legacy in a uniquely anachronistic setting.

Why Ren Faire’s Reviews Are So Great

Critics Praise It For Being Perceptive, Vivid & Thrilling

Ren Faire‘s reviews are so great for similar reasons as to why Succession was so consistently well-reviewed. With a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Ren Faire has been praised for its nuanced characters and compelling storyline. Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune directly compares it to Succession, lauding its “claustrophobic portrait of the festival’s eccentric and off-putting founder.” Likewise, Robert Lloyd of the LA Times describes it as “rewarding, even refreshing,” and appreciates how its characters “seem both ridiculous and relatably human.” Viewers have also received the new documentary well, considering the title’s 83% audience score.

For Judy Berman at TIME Magazine, meanwhile, the best part about Ren Faire is its unpredictability, and she describes it as “perceptive and surprisingly thrilling.” Ky Henderson of Rolling Stone agrees, calling the series engaging for its “disorienting camerawork, saturated colors, long close-ups on subjects’ faces twisted with anger, sorrow, and fear.” The show’s appeal is perhaps best summed up by Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter: “The core story here is so good, the main characters so vivid, the approach so entertainingly intense, that it’s easy to get caught up in the courtly intrigue of Ren Faire.”

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter