Prophet's Prey | |
---|---|
Directed by | Amy J. Berg |
Written by | Amy J. Berg |
Based on | Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation Into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints by Sam Brower |
Produced by |
|
Narrated by | Nick Cave |
Cinematography | Peter Donahue |
Edited by |
|
Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Showtime |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 101 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $39,437 [1] |
Prophet's Prey is a 2015 American documentary directed and written by Amy J. Berg. The film follows Warren Jeffs, the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who is now running the religion from the confines of the Texas state prison, serving out a life sentence, for the rape of young girls. The film is an adaptation of the 2011 book of the same name by Sam Brower, who also serves as a producer on the film. Ron Howard serves as an executive producer under his Imagine Entertainment banner.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2015. It was released in a limited release on September 18, 2015, followed by broadcast on Showtime on October 10, 2015.
Berg was approached by Sam Brower and Jon Krakauer with the idea for the film. [2] Both Brower and Krakauer are heavily featured as witnesses—the film argues they played a major role in Jeffs' capture—and the men take consulting producer and executive producer credits respectively. The two make engaging if contrasting guides through the complex story, with Krakauer coming across as the wisecracking, cerebral counterpoint to Brower's burly man-of-action. [3]
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2015. [4] It also screened at AFI Docs on June 18, 2015. [5] The film was released in a limited release on September 18, 2015, followed by a broadcast on Showtime on October 10, 2015. [6]
Prophet's Prey received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 93% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 27 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.00/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Prophet's Prey finds documentarian Amy Berg striking again at evil masquerading as righteousness -- and, as she did with Deliver Us from Evil, hitting her targets with impressive precision." [7] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 77 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [8]
Amy J. Berg is an American filmmaker. Her 2006 documentary Deliver Us from Evil (2006), about sex abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Church, was nominated for an Academy Award and won Berg the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay.
Amy Ziering is an American film producer and director. Mostly known for her work in documentary films, she is a regular collaborator of director Kirby Dick; they co-directed 2002's Derrida and 2020's On the Record, with Ziering also producing several of Dick's films.
The Overnighters is a 2014 American documentary film written, directed, and produced by Jesse Moss. It premiered on January 18, 2014, as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival, and it won the festival's Special Jury Prize. The film also won a prize at the Miami International Film Festival, at which it was screened on March 13, 2014.
An Open Secret is a 2014 American documentary film directed by Amy J. Berg exposing child sexual abuse in the film industry in California.
Dreamcatcher is a 2015 British-American documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto focusing on Brenda Myers-Powell, a former professional who runs The Dreamcatcher Foundation, a charity which helps women in Chicago leave the sex industry. The film won the World Cinema Directing Award in the documentary category at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Showtime Networks acquired the rights to the film on 23 January 2015.
My Perestroika is a 2010 American documentary film directed by Robin Hessman. It examines life during and after the USSR through the personal stories of five ordinary Russians, who speak about their Soviet childhood, the collapse of the USSR, and contemporary Russia.
Janis: Little Girl Blue is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Amy J. Berg, about the American singer-songwriter Janis Joplin. It had its world premiere at the 2015 Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2015, and was released theatrically in the United States by FilmRise on November 27, 2015.
On the Record is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering. It centers on allegations of sexual abuse and harassment against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. Executive producer Oprah Winfrey publicly withdrew from the film shortly before it was released, citing "creative differences", severing a production deal with Apple TV+. The film premiered at Sundance on January 25, 2020, and was acquired by HBO Max, which released it digitally on May 27, 2020.
The Go-Go's is a 2020 American-Irish-Canadian documentary film directed and produced by Alison Ellwood. The film follows the rise of the girl band the Go-Go's.
Rebel Hearts is a 2021 American documentary film, directed, produced, and edited by Pedro Kos. The film follows nuns at the Immaculate Heart College.
Ruth: Justice Ginsburg in Her Own Words is a 2019 American documentary film, directed and produced by Freida Lee Mock, written by Mock and M.A. Golán. It follows Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second female Supreme Court of the United States Associate Justice.
Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes is a 2018 American documentary film, directed and produced by Alexis Bloom. It follows the rise and fall of conservative media mogul Roger Ailes. Alex Gibney serves as an executive producer under his Jigsaw Productions banner.
Anita: Speaking Truth to Power is a 2013 American documentary film, written, directed, and produced by Freida Mock. It follows Anita Hill, a lawyer who testified against Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court nomination, exposing the problem of sexual harassment around the world.
Cusp is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill. It follows three teenage girls at the end of summer.
Fathom is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by Drew Xanthopoulos. It follows two researchers of humpback whales who study their communication and how it evolves across oceans and continents.
Pray Away is a 2021 American documentary film produced and directed by Kristine Stolakis. It follows survivors of conversion therapy, and former leaders. Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy serve as executive producers.
Naomi Osaka is an American documentary television miniseries directed by Garrett Bradley. It follows the life of professional tennis player Naomi Osaka over the course of two years. It consists of three episodes, and premiered on July 16, 2021, on Netflix.
Try Harder! is a 2021 American documentary film, directed and produced by Debbie Lum. It follows students at Lowell High School as they apply and hope for admission to the college of their dreams.
The One and Only Dick Gregory is a 2021 American documentary film, directed, written, and produced by Andre Gaines, under his Cinemation Studios banner. It follows the life and career of comedian Dick Gregory. Kevin Hart and Lena Waithe serve as executive producers under their Hartbeat Productions and Hillman Grad Productions, banners, respectively.
We Need to Talk About Cosby is an American documentary miniseries directed and produced by W. Kamau Bell. It explores the life and career of Bill Cosby up to his sexual assault cases, through conversations with comedians, journalists, and survivors. It premiered on January 30, 2022, on Showtime.