Netflix's Trust Me: False Prophet has taken over social media since its release, and it's easy to see why. This four-part docuseries follows cult psychology expert Christine Marie and her filmmaker husband as they go undercover inside a splinter group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS). They expose how Samuel Bateman, who claimed to be the heir to convicted leader Warren Jeffs, preyed on young girls. With thriller-like pacing and shaky-cam footage that keeps you on edge, it's a gripping watch. But once you've finished, there's another must-see documentary from the same director that digs even deeper into the cult's dark history.
From False Prophet to the Cult's Blueprint
Director Rachel Dretzin, who helmed Trust Me, also made Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey in 2022. While Trust Me is a real-time account of two people trying to stop a predator, Keep Sweet is the autopsy of how the FLDS became so twisted in the first place. It examines Warren Jeffs' rise to power and the system that allowed men like Bateman to emerge. The title itself comes from a motto coined by Rulon Jeffs, Warren's father: "Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey." This phrase was a governing philosophy for women in the community—those who complied stayed, while those who resisted were seen as problems to be managed. By the time Warren took over, the women were already conditioned to obey.
What 'Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey' Covers
The series starts at the beginning, tracing the FLDS roots in Short Creek, Utah, under Rulon Jeffs, where polygamy was treated as a divine duty. The more wives a man had, the higher his status. When Warren inherited the church, he tightened control, expelling rivals, relocating families, and building a compound in Eldorado, Texas, to avoid scrutiny. His 2006 arrest and the subsequent raid—where hundreds of children were removed—became a media circus. The series ends with Jeffs' life sentence, but it doesn't offer false closure. Instead, it focuses on the women who speak for the first time about life inside the cult. Their stories are the heart of the documentary.
If you're looking for more binge-worthy content after this deep dive, check out our list of Forgotten Netflix Originals That Only Get Better With Age.
Why You Should Watch Both
Trust Me is structured around Marie and her husband's undercover operation, with Bateman's victims appearing later to show the human stakes. Keep Sweet, however, gives survivors the chance to tell their stories from the start. Neither documentary offers a neat ending—Bateman is serving 50 years but still makes daily calls to followers who see him as a prophet. The arrest didn't dismantle the belief system. Keep Sweet explains why it couldn't. For a complete understanding of the FLDS saga, watching both is essential. And if you're in the mood for something lighter after all that intensity, consider 'The Rookie' on Hulu as a comfort binge.
