Look, I love Dany Levy as much as the next person. But while Netflix has released its latest comedy series, big mistakes, This week, to much fanfare, the streamer quietly launched its biggest true crime show at exactly the same time.
Those who watched Stay sweet: prey and obey Back in 2022 you may remember Warren Jeffs, the leading “prophet” of the FLDS (The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).
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But where one leader disappears, another arises, and this is exactly what the new Netflix series shows. Trust me: the false prophet examine. While many followers left on the Arizona-Utah border still believed Jeffs to be their prophet, FLDS member Samuel Bateman began challenging his teachings from prison.
Christine Marie Demonstrates the Power of Individual Action in Netflix's Trust Me: The False Prophet
Look
My biggest problem with the true crime genre on streaming services is that in recent years they have started to prioritize entertainment over education.
where it is shown as Making a murderer and killer exit Once changing their subjects' lives for the better, traumatic stories are now more often brought to light for no other purpose than to get more views.
In Trust me: the false prophetthe pendulum eventually swings the other way. Marie even says at multiple points during her time undercover that she hopes the docu-series (along with recounting her own personal experience with false prophets) can help educate widely.
I would venture to say that the four-episode binge educates far more than Marie could ever imagine. On a broader scale, his tenacity to do the right thing (even when he risks betraying the FLDS wives) is an incredible example of how individual actions can bring about substantial change.
At a time when the world feels more polarized than ever, this is something we needed to be reminded of and that can really work. Once Marie effectively works in a collective with FBI agent Dawn Martin and FLDS member Julia (whose daughters are married to Bateman), the change becomes even more tangible.
Episodes 3 and 4 delve deeper into Julia's self-reflections and realization of how her actions have affected the responsibility she has as a mother. It's an incredibly brave omission, spending months walking the metaphorical tightrope between being discovered as a mole and trying to correct the course of her daughters' lives.
While the truth behind Bateman's behavior becomes more terrifying by the minute, I am incredibly impressed by the openness, tenderness, and staying power that has been poured into Trust me: the false prophet. As Marie says, opening your heart to people who have beliefs opposite to yours can help create real, meaningful change.
Marie was successful and helped several of Bateman's young wives rebuild their lives after their conviction. We use the word “hero” a lot, but I really think that's the modern definition.
What makes this even more powerful is his promise to continue his work with the FLDS community long afterward. Trust me: the false prophet leaves the cultural conversation.
I come away from watching it feeling like I can be a better, more compassionate and aware person because of what I've seen. If that's not a sign of impeccable filmmaking, I don't know what is.
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