Brazil’s sweetheart soap opera star Daniella Perez was young, gorgeous, and famous. And then her co-star turned killer.
I’ll likely include “Brutal Pact” in the Top 20 Best True Crime Docuseries when I finish that list.
Trailer for “A Brutal Pact”
Note: The trailer plays in Portuguese but you can change it to English and other languages in the settings of YouTube.
Watch “A Brutal Pact”
You can watch the docuseries on HBO Max at https://play.max.com/video/watch/839ada20-dc36-4f07-9cf6-4af6de7e3c67
The docuseries is in Portuguese with English sub-titles.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 90/100
- IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 93/100 (Users); na (Critics)
Release Date: July 21, 2022 (Brazil); Original title: Pacto Brutal: O Assassinato de Daniella Perez
My Review of “A Brutal Pact: The Murder of Daniella Perez”
The Setup
This 22-year-old Brazilian telenovela star Daniella Perez was on the cusp of superstardom.
Then, she ‘s brutally murdered by her co-star, Guilherme de Pádua, and his wife, Paula Thomaz.
Directed by Tatiana Issa (known for “Dzi Croquettes”) and Guto Barra, this 5-part series is 250 minutes and highly binge-worthy.
The case hook Brazil so hard in the 1990s that it was viewed more than the impeachment of then-President Fernando Collor de Mello.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- So many people attended Daniella Perez’s funeral that her family barely got her coffin underground.
- Paula Thomaz enrolled her child in the same dance academy Daniella attended—years after the murder.
- The crime was committed under a full moon in a ritualistic setup, complete with a circle drawn at the crime scene.
- Both killers served a mere six years in prison due to good behavior, despite the gruesome nature of the crime.
More Highlights from the Doc
- Daniella’s Mother as Investigator: Gloria Perez, a renowned screenwriter, took matters into her own hands. She navigated dangerous favelas to find witnesses and gather critical evidence, showcasing her tenacity.
- Sensational Motive: Guilherme’s jealousy and frustration over perceived lack of screen time in De Corpo e Alma, a soap opera written by Daniella’s mother, became a central motive.
- Raw Crime Scene Footage: The doc reveals previously unseen images and physical evidence from the night of the murder (like how the 18 stab wounds were inflicted with a pair of scissors or similar weapon).
- Ritualistic Elements: The full moon, the drawn circle, and the weapon suggest eerie, ritualistic undertones.
- After their release, Guilherme and Paula publicly blamed each other as the crime’s mastermind.
- Guilherme attempted to portray Daniella as “crazy and dangerous” to justify his actions.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- The killers tried to stage the scene as a robbery, stealing Daniella’s purse with $6,000 in cash.
- The documentary exposes corruption in the police force and systemic incompetence in Brazil’s justice system.
- The case led to sweeping calls for criminal justice reform, with Daniella’s mother playing a prominent role in the movement.’
- Guilherme de Pádua joined an evangelical church after his release and worked as an acting coach for children.
Wrap Up
“A Brutal Pact” is a gut-wrenching exploration of fame, envy, and justice.