Prophet's Prey
Showtime Networks | Release Date: September 18, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
77
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
VarietyJustin ChangSep 14, 2015
Berg’s interviews with past members of the polygamy-practicing Mormon denomination make for damning testimony, but the lasting power of “Prey” is its grim insight into the mentality of the deceived, and its despairing recognition that spiritual and psychological bondage doesn’t end simply by putting a monster behind bars. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsOct 2, 2015
The movie finds what solace it can in giving voice to those who escaped this church's grasp. Read full review
83
The PlaylistKate ErblandSep 14, 2015
Prophet’s Prey is a skin-crawling chronicle of one of America’s biggest criminals and the community that allowed him to flourish. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleSep 24, 2015
Prophet's Prey is a sobering reminder that tyrannical monsters who hide behind religion can be homegrown too. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternSep 24, 2015
As horror upon horror unfolds in Prophet’s Prey, Amy Berg’s shocking documentary about the mad polygamist Warren Jeffs and his followers, one may marvel, in horror, at the elaborate forms that deviancy can take. Read full review
80
Village VoiceErnest HardySep 15, 2015
Grim but riveting viewing, a layered commentary on this country's moral and spiritual underbelly. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinSep 14, 2015
Berg’s account of the child abuse cases that led to the imprisonment of Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), doesn’t reveal much that hasn’t already been in the news or written up in books, but it does provide a comprehensive, disturbing and utterly fascinating historical overview. Read full review
75
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanOct 1, 2015
It’s hard to say what is most difficult to digest about Prophet’s Prey. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNoel MurraySep 30, 2015
The real story here, as in "Deliver Us From Evil" and "An Open Secret," is that so many people knew what was going on and still did nothing. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoSep 18, 2015
Hopefully, Prophet’s Prey will give those women the power to escape and make their voices heard. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineChuck BowenSep 14, 2015
One watches the film with an escalating sense of disbelief and horror, as Warren Jeffs is steadily revealed to be an even greater monster than we initially take him for. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelOct 2, 2015
Prophet’s Prey isn’t definitive, but it is compelling and occasionally even cinematic. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriSep 22, 2015
At times, I found myself wishing Berg focused more on Brower and Krakauer’s investigations and given the film a more present-tense narrative. This is a fascinating movie, but there’s a lot to cover here, and one can occasionally feel lost amid all the strands. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisSep 17, 2015
Ms. Berg has created an unnerving, sometimes infuriating documentary. She makes smart choices throughout as she weaves together this chronicle of faith and abuse. Read full review
60
Screen DailyAnthony KaufmanSep 14, 2015
Prophet’s Prey is more effective at presenting the enigmatic figure of the Prophet himself. His drawling somnolent voice hovers over the movie like a menacing ghost. Read full review
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