True crime fans are recommending a 2015 documentary to viewers who have seen Netflix’s Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey. You can check out the trailer for the documentary here:
The new Netflix series centres on the polyamorous religious cult known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and its president, Warren Jeffs, who is currently serving life in prison after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault against a child.
The documentary series reveals the strict rules FLDS imposed upon female members, including being ordered to dress in a certain way and having to pray on the hour, every hour.
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While Jeffs was in charge of the FLDS, reports of child brides as young as 12 being raped and abused began to emerge.
In 2008, Jeffs’ West Texas ranch was raided, resulting in 12 men being charged with child abuse.
When the four-part series landed on Netflix, viewers said it was ‘traumatising’ and that it left them feeling ‘ill’.
Posting on Twitter, one viewer said: “I'm 20 minutes into the Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey documentary and I feel ill, these men deserve hell," while another said: “This new Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey doc on Netflix is disturbing as hell.”
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Off the back of the popularity of the Netflix show, true crime fans have suggested viewers check out a documentary called Prophet’s Prey, which also covers the story of Jeffs’ and FLDS.
The movie, directed by Amy Berg, is based upon the book of the same name by Sam Brower, who also worked as a producer on the film.
A synopsis for the film reads: “Filmmaker Amy Berg sheds light on the sexual, financial and spiritual abuses heaped upon members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by their former leader, Warren Jeffs.”
Posting on Twitter, one user said the film goes into ‘much more detail’ about Jeffs’ behaviour, while another wrote: “If you haven’t seen Prophet's Prey on Showtime about this it’s a must watch.”
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Someone else said: “Showtime has a documentary about this same subject and has a lot of the same people. It came out years ago but still pretty relevant. It’s called Prophet’s Prey.”
Prophet's Prey has a solid 7.2 rating on IMDB, and a near-perfect 93 percent on ratings aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with a slightly lower 78 percent audience score.
You can stream Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey on Netflix now, while Prophet’s Prey is available to purchase through Amazon Prime.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 8am–10pm Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm weekends. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111
Topics: Netflix, TV and Film, True Crime
Claire Reid