Netflix doc Trust Me: The False Prophet is an enthralling cult story
- Carla Davis
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Netflix has a very large variety of documentaries available to stream, and a lot of those are true crime related. As a follower of true crime, I always keep my eyes on Netflix for something new, and I recently saw one that featured some unbelievable and satisfying events.
Trust Me: The False Prophet is more or less a sequel to the 2022 Netflix documentary Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey. That one told the story of Warren S. Jeffs and his leadership of the polygamous Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). At the end of Pray and Obey, Jeffs had been sentenced to life plus 20 years for child rape.
But the story did not end there, unfortunately. After he began serving time, he was still considered by many FLDS members to be their “prophet” (leader). But then Samuel Bateman declared himself the new prophet, and began carrying on the very same practices that led Jeffs to be imprisoned. He had multiple wives, many of them underage, and began building his own cult (because that’s honestly what the FLDS became).
He demanded money from his followers, and blind adoration from his wives. That’s where Christine Marie, who had survived a similar situation herself comes in. She and her husband Tolga moved to the Short Creek community, where Jeff’s former followers still resided. Their goal was to help those members, mostly women, support themselves so they could continue to live their lives in Short Creek. While Christine in particular knew the women had been misled, she befriended them without judgement.
She and Tolga were there when Bateman became his climb to power…and they were recording it all, with Bateman’s knowledge. The pretense was that they were filming a documentary about him, which of course appealed to his massive ego and quest for ultimate power.
But as Christine and Tolga soon discovered, Bateman was abusing that power, just as Jeffs had done. So they contacted law enforcement, who asked them to continue building Bateman’s trust in them and recording him so they would have proof if there came a time when they felt charges could be filed.
Netflix's Trust Me: The False Prophet is often frustrating, but the end goal is key
Of course, it is often difficult to prove child rape in situations such as this, because the perpetrators wield such control over their followers. He would not admit to having sexual relations with his underage “brides.”
The False Prophet is a chilling study of cults, and it is shocking to learn that Bateman’s two biggest advocates willingly gave up their own wives and young daughters to his care. Thankfully, one of those wives joined Christine’s cause early on, giving her info behind his back.
And one of the most devoted wives, Naomi (“Nomz”) helped Bateman orchestrate an unbelievable kidnapping plot after the children were removed and placed in foster care. But her story turns out to be ultimately one of the most satisfying.
If cults fascinate you as they do me, I highly recommend watching Trust Me: The False Prophet. You will find yourself inspired by Christine, whose compassion and kindness made the outcome of the story possible. How she could face Bateman day after day, knowing what she knew, and still not punch him in the face is amazing. If she had at any time earlier on urged the women to get out of the situation, they would have lost all trust in her, and they and the children would have continued to suffer.
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