Andrew Garfield’s Faith Gets Challenged Once More in Under the Banner of Heaven: Review
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The post Andrew Garfield’s Faith Gets Challenged Once More in Under the Banner of Heaven: Review appeared first on Consequence.
The Pitch: “A grisly murder rocks a sleepy town” is a premise that’s been tossed around plenty of times before — but this one has Andrew Garfield.
Under the Banner of Heaven, adapted from a 2003 novel by Jon Krakauer of the same name, follows the true events of a shocking double murder in Utah. The deaths of Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old baby gained media attention in 1984 due to the religious nature of the crime, one that was committed on the alleged premise of “divine revelation,” a factor that has certainly not grown less disturbing in the time since.
As with the book, the Dustin Lance Black-adapted series follows two storylines — the first being the murder investigation led by Detective Jeb Prye (Garfield), and the second being the early days of Mormon history. The parallel focuses work better in some places than others, especially since the investigation prevails as the more interesting of the two.
But the setup evokes a consistent sense of dread, as though the show is barreling towards something hard and heavy, not to be deterred. For, as the case takes viewers (and Jeb) further into the underbelly of fringe fundamentalists and extremism in the Church of Latter-Day Saints, Jeb’s own faith is called into question, too.
In His Name: In 2016, Andrew Garfield was undergoing a crisis of faith. Onscreen, that is — in Martin Scorcese’s brutal epic, Silence, as a devout and initially optimistic priest hoping to find and rescue his mentor amid the highest possible stakes.
Silence is a stunning performance from Garfield in an overall gripping, stomach-churning film, and it feels like he’s able to flex many of those same well-earned muscles here in Under the Banner of Heaven. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Garfield describes this as his “heaviest and darkest” project yet — a bold claim when Silence, Hacksaw Ridge, or Angels in America are called into question — but, in the same conversation, mentions that had he not stuck with acting, he might be studying theology.
Under the Banner of Heaven (FX)
It’s clear that Garfield is a person who easily finds himself intrigued by existential, theological questions. He’s also an actor who has long proven himself to be an authentic and thoughtful performer, and, whether one of those things informs the other or not, his performance as Jeb Pyre is the essential emotional centerpiece of the show. His partnership with Gil Birmingham as Bill Taba, his fellow detective on the case, is another strong highlight.
All In the Family: Things are rounded out by the clan of Laffertys, with the centerpiece being Allen Lafferty (Billy Howle) and his wife Brenda, seen in flashback and radiantly rendered by Daisy Edgar-Jones. Of Allen’s many, many siblings, the Laffertys to note are brothers Ron (Sam Worthington), Dan (Wyatt Russell), and Sam (Rory Culkin).
Sam Worthington is a frightening figure as Ron, a supposed pillar of the community and eldest of the Lafferty sons, using his status and charm for personal gain every step of the way. Of course, if a Culkin shows up to play a spooky and/or unhinged younger brother, the results tend to be captivating, and Rory comes through on that front.
Wyatt Russell, meanwhile, is perfectly cast as Dan, the loosest cannon of the bunch and whose anti-government and anti-tax sentiments steer him towards the fundamentalist extremes. Russell became widely known to many viewers after his turn as John Walker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and it seems like he might have a specific knack for playing characters who easily tip into destructive, deadly territory when things don’t go their way.
In Cold Blood: While the show doesn’t minimize the extreme nature of the case, it’s edited in a way that allows the more sensitive among us to still find it watchable. Shortly after the first episode opens, we’re met with the familiar true crime program scene of a late night call, flashing police lights, and shell-shocked officers – here, and in other more difficult-to-stomach moments, it lets context do the talking, rather than revel in the grisly details.
Additionally, overall, Under the Banner of Heaven feels fair in its portrayal of Mormonism and people of faith, from moments of goodness seen in Jeb Pyre and his family to the necessary exposure and treatment of the radicalism displayed by members of the Lafferty family.
Under the Banner of Heaven (FX)
As the show notes, though, the early days of LDS in America are fraught with some horribly dark chapters, something highlighted through the storyline focusing on Joseph Smith, his wife, and his devoted follower, Brigham Young. The delineation of Mormonism’s evolution to the America of 1984 makes it easy to see how some more specific doctrines within the church came to be. Naturally, the idea that the man is the undisputed head of the family is not specific to the Mormon faith; some darker practices, like polygamy, or cleansing via blood sacrifice, are.
Welcome to Utah: The first season of True Detective would’ve felt incomplete without the heavy, buzzing backdrop of the Louisiana bayou; Fargo is synonymous with a snowy Minnesota winter. Here, although the storyline presented in Under the Banner of Heaven is intrinsically tied to Utah, the landscape doesn’t feel quite as well-utilized.
There’s drama and mystery inherently woven into the structure of a town seated in the foothills of towering mountains, but the show feels more focused on managing the moving parts of the murder investigation and the Joseph Young storyline than it does in exploring how the surroundings connect with the narrative. (The fact that the show was filmed in Alberta, Canada might have something to do with it).
The Verdict: While not the most addictive true-crime drama in recent years, Under the Banner of Heaven is elevated by its heartfelt performances, particularly that of Garfield. On the red carpet for the show’s premiere, Garfield mentioned that he was “obsessed” with the book when he read it over a decade ago — if he was hoping to do the true story justice, it’s safe to say he succeeded.
Where to Watch: Under the Banner of Heaven makes its debut on Hulu starting April 28th.
Andrew Garfield’s Faith Gets Challenged Once More in Under the Banner of Heaven: Review
Mary Siroky
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