Netflix’s ‘Keep Sweet’ Creators Return With a Chilling New Cult Documentary: 'Trust Me: The False Prophet'

Netflix is stepping back into the controversial world of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with a brand new docuseries centered on the crimes of Samuel Bateman, the self-proclaimed heir of Warren Jeffs, and the couple who infiltrated his inner circle. Set to release globally on Netflix on April 8, 2026, here’s everything we know about Trust Me: The False Prophet.

Trust Me: The False Prophet is an upcoming docuseries directed by the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey). The production companies behind the series are A Participant and Ark Media Production. The executive producers of the docuseries are Jeff Skoll, Courtney Sexton, Miura Kite, Rachel Dretzin, Dorin Razam, Zachary Herrmann, and Tolga Katas. Lastly the series producer is Jamila Ephron.

From the Creators of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey

If you were captivated by Netflix’s 2022 smash-hit docuseries Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, this new series is a must-watch. Directed by the same Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, Rachel Dretzin, Trust Me: The False Prophet acts as a chilling continuation of the FLDS story, showing how the power vacuum left by Warren Jeffs allowed a new, dangerous leader to rise to power in the very same community.

Who is Samuel Bateman?

Samuel Bateman is a former member of the FLDS church who broke away to start his own offshoot group, proclaiming himself a prophet in 2019 after the imprisonment of Warren Jeffs. Bateman reportedly took more than 20 “spiritual wives,” including underage girls, and subjected them to illicit sexual conduct and abuse. He was finally caught by authorities in August 2022 when someone spotted small fingers reaching through the gap of an enclosed, unventilated trailer he was hauling through Flagstaff, Arizona. Inside, authorities found three young girls. In December 2024, Bateman was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for his crimes, effectively a life sentence.

When is Trust Me: The False Prophet released on Netflix?

As part of the documentary’s announcement, Netflix has confirmed that it will be released globally on April 8, 2026.

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Netflix has released an official trailer for the documentary.

What is revealed in the trailer?

The official trailer provides a chilling glimpse into the secretive Short Creek community. It opens with the haunting visual of FLDS women in their traditional prairie dresses and cuts to covertly filmed footage of Samuel Bateman himself. The trailer heavily features cult expert Christine Marie and her husband Tolga Katas, who share the harrowing reality of moving into the community and secretly recording Bateman to expose his crimes. The tension is palpable as Christine states, “If Sam found out what I was doing, he will take my children and he will flee.”

What is Trust Me: The False Prophet about?

Netflix has provided a synopsis for the documentary:

“This four-part documentary series chronicles the rise of Samuel Bateman, the self-proclaimed heir to Warren Jeffs’ Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), through the eyes of one couple who infiltrated his inner circle. Cult expert Christine Marie and her videographer husband Tolga Katas move into Short Creek, Utah to support a fractured FLDS community vulnerable to a new “prophet” — and decide to take matters into their own hands when they uncover evidence of unignorable evil. Featuring unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and first-hand accounts from inside the group, the series reveals the depths of Bateman’s control and the women brave enough to speak up. Directed by Emmy- and Peabody Award–winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey), Trust Me: The False Prophet is a riveting saga of devotion, deception, and the cycle of abuse in one of America’s most secretive communities.”