Parents' Guide to

Exterminate All the Brutes

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Powerful documentary shows history through graphic violence.

TV Max Educational 2021
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What's the Story?

EXTERMINATE ALL THE BRUTES is a documentary series about the history of colonialism and white supremacy. Filmmaker Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) uses his unique perspective to show how current issues in America and Europe are actually part of a historical continuum that reaches back to the Crusades, the conquest of the Americas, the Atlantic slave trade, and World War II.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

"It's not an easy story to tell because the story still continues today," filmmaker Raoul Peck says early on in this ambitious documentary about the history of colonialism and white supremacy. Exterminate All the Brutes is a sprawling work that attempts to connect various strands of American and European history to the present moment. It focuses on the idea that history tends to be told by "the winners," and the winners tend to be colonialists who use violence and cruelty to achieve dominance. Peck illuminates the other side of history, from the point of view of the indigenous peoples and other casualties of colonialism. The complexities can be difficult to reckon with, and Peck's narrative jumps around so much it's often tough to follow. But it can also be surprisingly witty, even funny, and Peck's ideas have a powerful bluntness to them. It may be overwhelming, but that's a result of Peck's willingness to confront urgent questions about complex subjects, giving Exterminate All the Brutes a raw power that may not always be satisfying in real time.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about history. How does Exterminate All the Brutes present the history of America and Europe? How does this compare to the history that you've learned? Why is it important to show this side of history? How does the documentary relate it to the present day?

  • Why does the director Raoul Peck place himself in the documentary? How does he use his own experiences to speak about history? What are some other surprising things the documentary does? How do these unorthodox choices contribute to the documentary's retelling of history?

  • Where is the phrase "exterminate all the brutes" from? What does it mean? What is the historical significance? How is it used in the documentary? Why did Peck choose this title? What does it represent?

TV Details

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