True crime adaptations usually go one of two ways. They either feel like a cheap tabloid recreation or they manage to tap into something deeply unsettling about the human condition. When Hulu released the limited series based on Jon Krakauer’s non-fiction masterpiece, it was clear we were getting the latter. A huge part of that success comes down to the cast of Under the Banner of Heaven, a group of actors who didn't just play their parts—they disappeared into the suffocating, insular world of 1980s Utah.
It’s heavy stuff. Honestly, watching Andrew Garfield grapple with his faith while investigating the brutal 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter is an exhausting experience in the best way possible. The show explores the fringes of Mormon fundamentalism, and if the acting hadn't been pitch-perfect, the whole thing could have felt exploitative. Instead, it feels like a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.
Andrew Garfield and the Weight of Doubt
Andrew Garfield plays Detective Jeb Pyre. Now, Jeb isn't a real person from the book; he’s a fictionalized composite used to give us an "in" to the story. He’s a "Jack Mormon"—a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)—whose world starts crumbling as he uncovers the darkness within his own community.
Garfield is incredible here. You’ve seen him as Spider-Man or in Tick, Tick... Boom!, but this is different. It’s a quiet, internal performance. He spends half the series just looking at evidence with a face that screams, "I don't want this to be true." His chemistry with Gil Birmingham, who plays his partner Detective Bill Taba, provides the only real breathing room in the show. Taba is the outsider, a Paiute man who sees the religious mania for what it is, while Pyre is desperately trying to protect the "happily ever after" version of his faith.
The tension between them isn't just about the case. It’s about two different ways of seeing the world. While the cast of Under the Banner of Heaven is massive, this central duo anchors the procedural element. Without their grounded presence, the flashbacks to the 19th-century history of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young might have felt too disconnected.
💡 You might also like: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
The Lafferty Brothers: A Study in Radicalization
If Pyre is the heart of the show, the Lafferty family is the rot. This is where the casting gets really interesting. You have Sam Worthington, Wyatt Russell, Billy Howle, and Rory Culkin. It’s a murderer's row of talent playing a family that slowly slides into madness.
Wyatt Russell plays Dan Lafferty. If you only know him as the "new" Captain America from the Marvel shows, prepare to be disturbed. He brings this terrifying, easy-going charisma to the role. He’s the one who starts leading the family away from the mainstream LDS church and toward the "School of the Prophets." He makes radicalization look like a logical, even friendly, progression. It’s subtle. It starts with tax evasion and ends with... well, we know how it ends.
Then there’s Sam Worthington as Ron Lafferty. Usually, Worthington is the action hero type, but here he’s a man who feels he’s lost his birthright. His transformation from a somewhat stable eldest brother to a man claiming to receive direct revelations from God is chilling. He plays Ron with a specific kind of brittle masculinity. When he snaps, you feel the air leave the room.
The Tragedy of Brenda Lafferty
Daisy Edgar-Jones had a nearly impossible task. She plays Brenda, the victim. In many true crime shows, the victim is just a ghost or a body on a table. But Brenda was a real woman—a journalist, a dreamer, and someone who actually tried to modernize the Lafferty family from the inside.
📖 Related: Is Heroes and Villains Legit? What You Need to Know Before Buying
Edgar-Jones gives her so much light. She isn't just a "victim-to-be." She is the only person in the Lafferty orbit who sees the danger clearly. Because we see her life in flashbacks, her eventual fate feels even more devastating. The show uses her to highlight the inherent sexism within the fundamentalist structures, and Edgar-Jones plays that defiance with a grace that makes the ending hard to stomach.
Why This Specific Ensemble Worked
Most shows struggle with large casts. You forget who is who. But the cast of Under the Banner of Heaven managed to make every brother distinct.
- Billy Howle (Allen Lafferty): He plays the youngest brother, the one who finds the bodies. Most of his scenes are in an interrogation room with Garfield. He’s the bridge between the audience and the family’s history. His performance is raw, shaky, and filled with a specific kind of religious trauma.
- Rory Culkin (Samuel Lafferty): Culkin has always been great at playing "off" characters, and here he is the fringe of the fringe. He’s the most visually striking, with a feral energy that suggests he was the first to truly lose his grip on reality.
- Adelaide Clemens (Rebecca Pyre): As Jeb's wife, she represents what Jeb is afraid of losing. Her performance is a reminder of the social cost of leaving a tight-knit religious community. If Jeb stops believing, he doesn't just lose his God; he loses his neighbors, his family, and his identity.
Behind the Scenes: Authenticity and Accuracy
The creator, Dustin Lance Black, grew up in a Mormon household. He didn't want this to be a caricature. He pushed the actors to understand the "Mormon Voice"—that specific, polite, almost breathless way of speaking that carries a lot of subtext.
The actors spent time learning about the rituals and the history. They weren't just playing "crazy people." They were playing people who believed they were being righteous. That’s the scariest part of the show. Nobody in the Lafferty house thought they were the villain. They thought they were the heroes of a holy war.
👉 See also: Jack Blocker American Idol Journey: What Most People Get Wrong
Acknowledging the Controversy
It's worth noting that the LDS Church wasn't thrilled with the show. They argued that it blurred the lines between mainstream Mormonism and the violent fundamentalism of the Laffertys. While the show is based on a true story, it does take creative liberties for dramatic effect. The character of Jeb Pyre is the biggest "lie" in the show—he didn't exist. However, his presence is necessary to explain the theological nuances to an audience that might not know a "testimony" from a "revelation."
Practical Takeaways for Viewers
If you’re diving into this series for the first time, or maybe rewatching because you realized half the cast is now even more famous, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Read the Book First (or After): Jon Krakauer’s book is more of a journalistic deep dive into the history of the church. The show focuses more on the Lafferty family drama. Together, they give a full picture.
- Watch the Backgrounds: The production design is incredible. The transition from the bright, sunny world of the mainstream church to the dark, cramped, wood-paneled trailers of the fundamentalists tells a story of its own.
- Research Brenda’s Legacy: Brenda Lafferty was more than a plot point. Her family has worked hard to ensure she is remembered for her intelligence and her ambition, not just her death.
- Pay Attention to the Music: The score by Jeff Ament (of Pearl Jam) and others is dissonant and eerie. It mirrors Jeb Pyre’s internal cracking.
The cast of Under the Banner of Heaven delivered one of the most cohesive ensemble performances in recent television history. They didn't lean into tropes. They didn't make it a "weird cult" show. They made it a human story about what happens when faith is weaponized by ego. It’s a tough watch, but because of this cast, it’s an essential one.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Understanding:
- Compare the character arcs of Dan and Ron Lafferty to the real-life court transcripts to see how closely the actors mimicked their real-life counterparts' mannerisms.
- Look into the work of the Salt Lake Tribune’s reporting on the case from the 1980s to understand the local impact of the murders.
- Explore the filmography of director David Mackenzie, whose gritty style influenced the show's visual tone.