Critic Reviews

A slow-burn, compelling collision of faith and morality, Under the Banner of Heaven doesn’t ask the audience what is right and wrong but presents how morals can ultimately become skewed in the eyes of people who put their religion before their humanity, and the tragic consequences that inevitably ensue.

From the start, Under the Banner of Heaven demonstrates a quiet confidence. Brenda’s death supplies the narrative suspense, but it’s the show’s sense of empathy that proves truly difficult to shake.

True-crime thrillers rarely hit as hard as this streaming series that stars a superb Andrew Garfield as a Mormon detective investigating a double murder that indicts a fundamentalist sect within the church. Believe this: It will take a piece out of you.

One of the best things about Under the Banner of Heaven is that it isn’t Big Love or Book of Mormon. Instead, while it’s unflinching in its honesty about the dangers of fanaticism and the horrors of religious violence, it also remembers to give those evils a balancing and opposing good.

Under the Banner of Heaven turns Krakauer’s sprawling look at the roots and evolution of Fundamentalist Mormonism into a well-made detective drama. It’s not as transcendent as its source material, but it is a gripping watch, full of fantastic performances and horrifying reveals.

In spite of its overfamiliar rhythms and fancy murder-show aesthetics, there are elements of Under the Banner that achieve something distinct and idiosyncratic.

Though not everything works equally well (Howle’s Allen Lafferty is saddled with too many exposition-heavy scenes), “Under the Banner of Heaven” is both frightening and fascinating.

Under the Banner of Heaven is sometimes so intent on conveying a grand message that it forgets to tell its main story. Yet, while the show hinges on a classic whodunnit, its deeper scrutiny of faith and doubt gives Garfield the space to show off his skills. ... But Garfield isn’t the only star here. There’s hardly a weak link in the sprawling cast.

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.

While not the most addictive true-crime drama in recent years, Under the Banner of Heaven is elevated by its heartfelt performances.