I know that formulaic content works for a lot of people, and it’s easy to replicate something that’s already been successful before. However, when a formula turns into a fad, it leaves no room for improvement, only churning out the most mediocre results possible. I suppose it’s the same as the trickle-down theory in fashion (luxury innovations trickling down to fast fashion), but as time passes (though it’s not trickling down levels here, it’s moving sideways more like), things start to feel redundant and low quality. Rulers of Fortune is a result of this same problem. It’s trying so hard to fit into the mold of a chaotic Brazilian gambling den show that it never really feels like it’s trying to tell an original story, just like a number of TikToks cobbled together to make a show. I know, this is coming across as really harsh, but my expectations are persistently high when it comes to global TV and cinema on OTT platforms. It is a place that people get to explore media from across the globe, so shouldn’t you be putting your best foot forward? Instead, in this scary business of “if you fail once, you won’t get another chance,” everyone is being forced to make the same crap that never really entertains and is forgettable at best.
This is exactly what I felt about Rulers of Fortune. The show follows a man named Jefferson who wants to make it to the top of this game. We follow his journey climbing up from the bottom to the top while gambling away his life, making mistakes on the way. I guess you could say it’s a basic rags-to-riches story. There are heists, murders, romance, and everything else that you can imagine exists in successful Netflix shows. To me, the character motivations felt undercooked because we barely understand these people, and the thing that bothered me the most was the sibling rivalry that didn’t have a starting point. Sure, a man can ruin the bond between two sisters, but why did they fall for this trick? Is it just because they want to be the queen on the throne? I don’t know; I don’t buy it.
The thing I don’t understand with this kind of show is how they expect us to feel welcomed into this world of illegal gambling that we’ve never seen anything about. To lure one in, the world-building is what should be effective, but this is lacking in most new shows today because everything needs to be wrapped up neatly with a bow in 8 episodes. If you spend an episode or two giving us real backstory, your plot time is lost. In this case, the relationship between Jefferson, aka Profeta (his den name), and Mirna is very undercooked, so there’s no way you can really buy their love story. The same goes for other character motivations; there’s one big reveal somewhere in the middle of the show, but it lacks any kind of impact because of how much is going on overall. It just becomes another part of the mess.
Rulers of Fortune could’ve been something really cool, because crime thrillers are always fun to watch, especially when it’s about a near-ordinary man becoming king, but there’s almost nothing special about this show. Here’s the thing: they make it seem like the women are important and making a lot of decisions, but they’re merely pawns used in seducing the men in power. This is the ultimate truth, and it’s unbelievably disappointing. Can we please get over this “women will use their bodies to get anything they want” trope? It’s honestly baffling how we’re still allowing it in 2025.
If you’re even slightly familiar with shows in a different language on Netflix, there’s likely a chance you’ll know one particular actor who shows up in every show in said language. For me, when it comes to Brazil, it’s Juliana Paes, whom I last saw in a horrendous show called Desperate Lies. I’m just glad they limited Rulers of Fortune to 8 episodes instead of making it 17 like that one. I think the actress has great potential, and she’s underutilized in this show, despite having a seemingly important role. On the other hand, Mel Maia appears to be a former child actress who is just 21 and plays an ambitious young Mirna in this show. I did think her face looked quite young, but I just assumed that was Brazilian genes. Opposite her is Andre Lamoglia, as Profeta, and they’ve got chemistry despite a sizeable age gap (I guess it’s okay?). Lamoglia is eye candy for sure, but he does the expression of desperation really well. You’ll often see him squinting his eyes to feel mysterious and striking. Unfortunately, I never watched Elite, but I can imagine he was really good in that, too.
The older male characters are all caricature-ish, and I especially didn’t like the Galego character. But maybe the irony is that the show seems to almost make fun of people like him, with random comedy in between. Honestly, I can’t say there was anyone I liked outside of Mirna, and that’s just because Mel’s got such a strong commanding presence on camera.
Ultimately, I can’t say I enjoyed this show, and if it comes down to the entertainment factor, I didn’t think there was much that was exciting here at all. There’s a carnival scene where the music was really good, but I guess that’s not enough to be forced to watch an entire show for. I don’t want to waste any more of your time, but I think you’ve realized by now that I wouldn’t recommend this show. I think there are other crime thrillers that are packed with more human elements, i.e., emotion, to make you feel excited about them. I’d give Rulers of Fortune 2 out of 5 stars.
