| Exterminate All the Brutes | |
|---|---|
| Based on | |
| Written by | Raoul Peck |
| Directed by | Raoul Peck |
| Music by | Alexei Aigui |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine |
| Editor | Alexandra Strauss |
| Running time | 59-60 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | April 7 (2021-04-07) – April 8, 2021 (2021-04-08) |
Exterminate All the Brutes is an internationally co-produceddocumentary television miniseries revolving aroundcolonization andgenocide, directed and narrated byRaoul Peck. The series consists of four episodes and premiered in the United States on April 7, 2021, onHBO.[1] It premiered in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2021, onSky Documentaries.[2] The series takes its name fromSven Lindqvist'sbook of the same name, on which it is partially based,[3][4] a phrase which Lindqvist in turn borrowed fromJoseph Conrad's novellaHeart of Darkness, in which the quote "Exterminate all the brutes" appears.
The series followscolonization and multiplegenocides, and the effect of both, alongsideimperialism andwhite supremacy.[5]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Disturbing Confidence of Ignorance" | Raoul Peck | April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07) | 0.081[6] |
| 2 | "Who the F*** is Columbus?" | Raoul Peck | April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07) | 0.125[6] |
| 3 | "Killing at a Distance or...How I Thoroughly Enjoyed the Outing" | Raoul Peck | April 8, 2021 (2021-04-08) | 0.137[7] |
| 4 | "The Bright Colors of Fascism" | Raoul Peck | April 8, 2021 (2021-04-08) | 0.136[7] |
Raoul Peck began working on the project after an executive atHBO agreed to produce a documentary of his on any topic.[8] The series is based on the booksExterminate All the Brutes bySven Lindqvist,An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States byRoxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, andSilencing the Past by Michel-Rolph Trouillot.[9]
In February 2020, it was announced Raoul Peck would direct a 4-episode documentary series revolving aroundcolonization andgenocide forHBO, withHBO Documentary Films set to produce, withJosh Hartnett set to star as the lead in scripted scenes.[10]
On July 30, 2020, Hartnett revealed that his segments were filmed inParis, France before theCOVID-19 lockdown.[11]
Exterminate All the Brutes received positive reviews from the critics. It holds a 84% approval rating onreview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, based on 25 reviews, with aweighted average of 8.25/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "While Exterminate All the Brutes perhaps packs a little too much into its limited runtime, it remains a powerful, necessary examination of the horrors of historical colonialism and its lingering impact on the world today."[12] OnMetacritic, the series holds a rating of 83 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[13]
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gotham Awards | November 29, 2021 | Breakthrough Nonfiction Series | Exterminate All the Brutes | Nominated | [14] |
| Cinema Eye Honors | March 1, 2022 | Outstanding Nonfiction Series | Raoul Peck | Nominated | [15] |
| Outstanding Broadcast Editing | Alexandra Strauss | Nominated | |||
| IDA Documentary Awards | March 4, 2022 | Best Multi-Part Documentary | Raoul Peck, Daniel Delume, Rémi Grellety, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Jamie Morris, Jack Oliver, and Poppy Dixon | Won | [16][17] |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | March 12, 2022 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries | Raoul Peck | Nominated | [18] |
| Golden Reel Awards | March 13, 2022 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Documentary | Séverin Favriau, Emeline Aldeguer, Daniel Irribaren, and Vincent Maloumian | Nominated | [19] |
| Peabody Awards | June 6–9, 2022 | Documentary | Exterminate All the Brutes | Won | [20] |
