Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Limited Series – Under the Banner of Heaven

Play trailer 1:44 Poster for Limited Series – Under the Banner of Heaven Apr 2022 Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 51 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
As Detective Jeb Pyre investigates the murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her baby daughter in a Salt Lake Valley, Utah, suburb, he uncovers buried truths about the origins of the LDS religion and the violent consequences of unyielding faith.
Watch on Disney+ Stream Now

Where to Watch

Under the Banner of Heaven — Limited Series

Under the Banner of Heaven — Limited Series

What to Know

Critics Consensus

While Under the Banner of Heaven gets bogged down by an overabundance of backstory, its procedural through-line is enriched by a thoughtful introspection on personal faith.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Andrew Male The Times (UK) 08/12/2022
Where the series falls down, however, is in its need to include a series of am-dram historical reenactments about Mormonism’s origins. Go to Full Review
James White Empire Magazine 07/28/2022
4/5
Garfield is the beating heart of the show, but the entire ensemble breaks out of expected roles to place Under The Banner Of Heaven among the best miniseries of the year. Go to Full Review
Michael Hogan Daily Telegraph (UK) 07/27/2022
3/5
Ultimately, this has the sheen of prestige TV without ever quite delivering. Go to Full Review
Ally Ham The Review Geek 07/12/2024
Under the Banner of Heaven creates quite a dark and moving tapestry–a combination of thrilling true-crime drama, indictment of dangerous religious extremism, and tender remembrance of a gentle soul. Go to Full Review
Ilan Preskovsky Channel24 (South Africa) 08/31/2023
4.5/5
If the parallels between Joseph Smith and modern-day Mormonism don't always convince, the way the series so beautifully portrays the connection between the spiritual struggles of Brenda Lafferty and those of Jeb Pyre is beyond reproach. Go to Full Review
Prahlad Srihari Firstpost 08/08/2022
Within a true-crime framework, Under the Banner of Heaven highlights the dangerously thin line between scriptural literalism and messianic delusions. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Cyrus S. @dogwild Jan 25 The book is in the upper echelons of truly great non-fictions stories and I rarely see the film/TV version come close but FX delivers again with its focus on quality content and I absolutely loved this series which exposes the hypocricy and corruption of so many greedy men plus the agendas behind their selfish and sometimes evil pursuits. See more Jenaro V @JenaroV Jan 21 Normalmente decimos que a las series les sobra algún capitulo, en este caso es el contrario, la construcción de la trama, como te van contando la historia, el desarrollo del caso, como van apareciendo los personajes, todo va a un ritmo perfecto para mantener la tensión en todo momento y poco a poco llevarte al desenlace fatídico esperado y cuando este llega, parece que se quedaron sin tiempo, como que los 7 capítulos no fueron suficientes y falto un 8vo, todo es muy abrupto y hasta anticlimático, de un momento a otro todo termina, sin mayores consecuencias, sin saber que paso con los demás personajes, sin nada, solo los créditos. See more Karen B @karenb92 Nov 19 This movie was sooooo confusing. It went into Joseph Smith, and that history. Then off to the wife and child who were murdered, then in the future with the detective. I could not figure it out See more K C @RT15240254 Aug 23 Slow, protracted and dull. Could have been compacted into two episodes or one movie; even then that’s excessive. Even the cast can’t redeem this lemon. See more Lovell T @Lovell Jul 2 Even knowing the history of mormonism and its various splinter groups in different narratives, this still come across as extremely disturbing and riveting, with performance and writing that's hard to fault. See more Alexa K @aksss512 Jun 8 It is really exposition heavy and jumps constantly between the investigation, flash backs / backstories, and history of Joseph Smith (in a docudrama history channel style). I get that it is all connected, but it really disrupts the flow. Especially when the show tries to cover it all in single scenes. It feels a bit like the director and writers have a bad case of ADD. See more Read all reviews
Under the Banner of Heaven — Limited Series

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Apr 28, 2022 When God Was Love Detectives Jeb Pyre and Bill Taba investigate the brutal, sinister murders of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her baby daughter in Utah's typically serene Salt Lake Valley in 1984. Details Episode 2 Aired Apr 28, 2022 Rightful Place With a lead suspect in custody, the investigation uncovers more ominous questions than answers as the hidden history of the once admired Lafferty family is exposed. Details Episode 3 Aired May 5, 2022 Surrender The ongoing investigation leads Pyre and Taba into the woods where they unearth information that challenges Pyre's own faith. Details Episode 4 Aired May 12, 2022 Church and State The investigation intensifies after Pyre uncovers details of the Lafferty family's fundamentalist beliefs, sparking a search for missing Lafferty brothers, Ron and Dan, and putting Pyre at odds with his own church leaders. Details Episode 5 Aired May 19, 2022 One Mighty and Strong With evidence now pointing squarely toward fundamentalist Mormonism, Pyre turns to LDS Church leaders for guidance but is met with roadblocks; undeterred, he discovers a list of names Brenda's killers plan to murder next. Details Episode 6 Aired May 26, 2022 Revelation New details emerge about Brenda's attempt to reckon with some of the Lafferty family's most extreme members and beliefs; Pyre and Taba hunt for those who killed Brenda before they can kill again. Details Episode 7 Aired Jun 2, 2022 Blood Atonement As the details of the murders become clear, Pyre and Taba embark on an interstate manhunt, hoping to catch the killers before they complete their list of those to be "blood atoned." Details
The Act 88% 91% The Act Watchlist TRAILER for The Act A Friend of the Family 92% 81% A Friend of the Family Watchlist TRAILER for A Friend of the Family Bosch 97% 94% Bosch Watchlist TRAILER for Bosch Escape at Dannemora 89% 94% Escape at Dannemora Watchlist TRAILER for Escape at Dannemora City on a Hill 88% 86% City on a Hill Watchlist TRAILER for City on a Hill Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Season Info

Director
Courtney Hunt, David Mackenzie, Dustin Lance Black, Thomas Schlamme, Isabel Sandoval
Creator
Dustin Lance Black
Executive Producer
Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Anna Culp, Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan, David Mackenzie, Gillian Berrie
Screenwriter
Gina Welch, Dustin Lance Black, Brandon Boyce, Dustin Lance Black, Emer Gillespie
Network
Hulu
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Apr 28, 2022