Killer Ratings

Killer Ratings tells the extraordinary story of Wallace Souza, a Brazilian television presenter and politician who was accused of ordering murders so that his own crime programme could be first at the scene.

Daniel Bogado originated the project and was Series Director of the seven-part series, producing and directing five episodes. Developed through extensive reporting in Manaus, the production involved more than 60 interviews with Souza’s family, former colleagues, police, prosecutors, journalists and others connected to the case, alongside extensive archive gathered over the course of the investigation.

Commissioned by Netflix as its first foreign-language documentary commission, Killer Ratings was made entirely in Portuguese with a predominantly Brazilian production team. The series builds an increasingly complex story in which television, politics, organised crime and competing allegations become almost impossible to disentangle.

The series became a significant success in Brazil and attracted strong international attention for the sheer unpredictability of its story. Critics repeatedly highlighted its extraordinary twists and turns: The Guardian called it an “astonishing documentary series”, while The Daily Beast described the story as “jaw-dropping” and praised Bogado for skilfully navigating its competing versions of events.

The series won the ABRA Award for Best Screenplay and was nominated by the Academy of Motion Pictures of Brazil for Best Documentary.