Andrew Garfield, suspenseful musical cues, and a double murder. What more could we ask for from a new series? Well, even if we couldn’t ask for more. We will get more. And a lot of it. Because this upcoming FX limited series promises many hidden mysteries to unravel. Not to mention intense religious themes to grapple with. Under the Banner of Heaven not only tackles murder and Garfield’s expressive features, but also the LDS Church. Hold onto your hats kids, this here’s the first teaser for Under the Banner of Heaven, and it packs a punch.
The official description for the limited series shares:
Under the Banner of Heaven is a limited series inspired by Jon Krakauer’s true crime bestseller of the same name. A devout detective’s faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder that seems to be connected to an esteemed Utah family’s spiral into LDS fundamentalism and their distrust in the government. Andrew Garfield will star as “Pyre,” an LDS elder who is committed to his Church and family but begins to question some of the Church’s teachings through his contact with a suspected murderer. Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as “Brenda,” a young faithful Mormon who is the victim of a brutal murder.
In short, this will probably not lead to debates about whether Andrew Garfield’s suit featured a padded butt. Instead, this series sees Garfield in a much more emotional, questioning role. (Not that Spider-Man doesn’t offer us universally relatable themes.) Anyone would struggle if the base of their life started to come into question. Add to that a teaspoon of mystery and crime, and things become rough quickly. Not to mention, extremes of any kind usually don’t spell anything good. We feel curious to see how this true-crime limited series takes on issues of faith and morality. Religion meets murder always holds the promise of something interesting. And Garfield seems like an especially thoughtful actor.
Under the Banner of Heaven releases on Hulu on Thursday, April 28. It will have seven episodes. According to a release, “The premiere will feature the first two episodes, with a new episode available in each of the following five weeks.” In the meanwhile, those interested in this teaser can explore Jon Krakauer’s novel. One can never have too many books on their to-read list, after all. And this one sounds like a doozy.