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.

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.

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.

As Jeb discovers his anger, he gives shape to Under the Banner of Heaven’s central concern: the struggle to attain personal agency in the crushing course of history.

Fitting in enough context so that unfamiliar audiences understand how the past and present connect can create disjointed, cumbersome episodes. ... All these flaws may prove trivial if the series’ ideas grab you. But all the apparent and admirable love put into this sprawling adaptation may only boil down to one or two simple truths. Faith, in the wrong hands, can embolden dangerous men. If you don’t know that by now, “Under the Banner of Heaven” will slowly, painstakingly make its case.

A moody and well-paced but schematic seven-part miniseries. ... “Under the Banner of Heaven” is most compelling when it explores the circumstances that paved the way for the Lafferty brood’s self-conversion and smartly concludes there’s no single reason for it. ... As the Laffertys become radicalized, Pyre’s crisis of faith and challenging home life become comparatively less engaging.

There’s at once too much packed into the series’ installments and yet not enough, with Black and company expending unwarranted attention on a cornucopia of detours and diversions that are only sometimes fleshed out, go nowhere illuminating, and muddle this affair’s primary censure of the Mormon church as a violent 19th-century-style cult-y outfit.

The paradoxical "exotic" nature of the show -80's Mormon Meurica- is what makes this show intriguing of course, but the writing also cleverly unfurls the different plot lines so as to keep us on our toes, without resorting to clichéd plot devices and tropes. On the other hand the camera work -the NYPD Blue jerky cam- is very irritating and almost ruins the show for me. The constant use of the same drab colour lenses is also a bit tired and lazy. Garfield plays it safe, using his trademark fragile and delicate nature, but it fits the character quite well. A good entertainment.

This one is thick with atmosphere. Kudos to the cinematographer, because they really create a claustrophobic pall over the entire series. Andrew Garfield is also knocking it out of the park. I find the religious undertones (laughable because they are in your face) to be respectful yet creepy. I can only imagine how this pans out, but I'm hooked.