Netflix has added Trust Me: The False Prophet, a four-part documentary about cult psychology and the aftermath of Warren Jeffs being sent to prison in 2011. The series has quickly moved to the top of the platform's most watched list, reaching No. 1 on the Netflix Top 10 shows.
The documentary follows Samuel Bateman, who proclaimed himself the prophet and took over leadership of the FLDS in Short Creek, Utah after Jeffs was imprisoned. Bateman took multiple wives, including girls as young as nine years old, a central abuse pattern that the film examines through the lens of manipulation and control.
Directed by Rachel Dretzin, the project draws on undercover work by Christine Marie and Tolga Katas, who moved into Short Creek and gained access to the community and to Bateman himself. He believed the pair were filming a flattering portrait of him, a mistake that helped the filmmakers gather evidence of abuse and manipulation that later figured in his 50-year sentence for crimes against minors.
That combination of access, timing and criminal fallout is why the series has landed with viewers and critics alike. Trust Me: The False Prophet holds a 100% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 100% score from audiences, a rare double mark for any documentary in a crowded month on the service.
It is also part of a broader documentary push at Netflix this month. American Godfathers: The Five Families, a three-part, 4.5-hour series narrated by Michael Imperioli, has also landed on the platform, adding another deep dive for viewers looking past the usual true-crime menu.
Based on Selwyn Raab's New York Times bestselling book Five Families: The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires, the series traces the rise, domination, rivalry and eventual fall of the Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno, Lucchese and Colombo families. It covers more than 50 years of control and organized crime activity including drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, bootlegging, gambling and extortion, using archival footage, black-and-white video, rare photos and interviews with historians, former mob members, law enforcement agents and Raab himself.
The series had formerly aired on the History Channel, but its arrival on Netflix this month gives it a wider audience at a time when documentary fans are being pulled in several directions. If April has a signature on the platform, it is that the strongest nonfiction titles are the ones that combine reporting, access and a story that does not let go.
