Under the Banner of Heaven
Under the Banner of Heaven
A devout detective's faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder seemingly connected to an esteemed Utah family's spiral into LDS fundamentalism and their distrust in the government.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 7, 2025
“If there is no God, doesn’t it make this all the more miraculous?”
Finally catching up on some of my TV shows.
Under The Banner Of Heaven was really excellent. Based on the nonfiction novel of the same name by Jon Krakauer. Andrew Garfield plays a detective investigating a violent murder of a woman and her infant daughter. The perpetrators of the murder are brothers (played by Wyatt Russell and Sam Worthington) whom believe they have been ordered to do so by God.
The brother’s adhere to a fundamentalist version of Mormonism. Though the LDS church has long ceased to identify with any fundamentalist groups or teachings, Garfield’s Detective Jeb Lyre, an LDS member, finds himself at odds with religious doctrine that is pivotal in the origins of his own religious faith. It’s a window into the origin and evolution of the LDS church and an examination of the differing ideologies.
This series is really well executed with great performances across the board. In addition to the names mentioned above, Daisy Edgar Jones and Gil Birmingham are both fantastic, but Rory Culkin is fucking terrifying.
While it’s clearly critical of the LDS church, the criticisms don’t have to be unique to Mormonism. Anytime the words of Men are believed to be divinely inspired, God-breathed, or revelations from God himself, maybe we should find a way to verify the source before adopting them as dogmatic law—especially when those words lean heavy into misogyny. Highly recommended watch, at any rate.