What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedKeep Sweet: Pray and Obey
Series · 2022
If you loved Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, start with Women Talking (Sarah Polley, 2022) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey across media.
If Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey left you unsettled, these stories expose the harrowing mechanisms of control within isolated, extremist communities.
Books on the same thread
Under the Banner of Heaven
Jon Krakauer · Book
Shares a thread with Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey: Religious extremism.
Much like Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, this investigation peels back the layers of institutional secrecy and fundamentalist violence that allow dangerous, patriarchal ideologies to fester unchecked.
Say Nothing
Patrick Radden Keefe · Book
Explores: sectarian violence, radicalization, conspiracy.
Readers of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey will recognize the chilling power of radicalization and conspiracy as this account explores how deep-seated group loyalties drive systemic violence.
The House of My Mother
Shari Franke · Book
Explores: familial abuse, cult-like dynamics, survivor testimony.
This memoir mirrors the survivor testimony found in Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, detailing how high-control dynamics and familial abuse trap individuals within a suffocating, isolated environment.
Sister Wife
Christine Brown Woolley · Book
Shares a thread with Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey: polygamy.
Fans of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey will appreciate this personal journey of deconstruction, which highlights the painful process of reclaiming autonomy after leaving a polygamous, high-control group.
Films on the same thread
Women Talking
Sarah Polley · Film · 2022
Explores: faith crisis, sexual assault, female solidarity.
This film echoes the core dilemma of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey by depicting women in an isolated religious colony forced to confront systemic sexual assault and faith.
The Act of Killing
Joshua Oppenheimer · Film · 2012
Explores: Banality of evil, Historical trauma, Perpetrator psychology.
While Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey uncovers the truth of a cult, this documentary examines the psychology of perpetrators who use performance to normalize and justify their historical atrocities.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Film · 2023
Explores: Systemic Racism, Greed, Betrayal.
This narrative explores the intersection of greed and systemic oppression, providing a historical perspective on the same patterns of exploitation and betrayal seen in Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.
The Sacrament
Film · 2014
Explores: Religious Cults, Isolation, Charismatic Leadership.
Viewers captivated by the documentary footage in Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey will find a familiar terror in this depiction of charismatic leadership and isolation within religious cults.
Podcasts on the same thread
SR PAY - True Crime Documentary
Podcast
Explores: Criminal Justice, Investigation, Real Crime.
If the investigative focus of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey hooked you, this podcast provides a consistent deep dive into the criminal justice realities behind complex, real-world cases.
Cults
Spotify Studios · Podcast · 2022
This series offers a broader look at the doctrines and doomsday predictions that define the groups explored in Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, examining how cult leaders manipulate followers.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey a fictional story?
No, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is not a fictional story. It is a documentary that features interviews and rare home video footage from ex-FLDS members who share the truth about their experiences living within an isolated community.
What is the focus of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey?
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey focuses on the experiences of former members of the FLDS community. The documentary explores the events that occurred within their isolated environment and the specific circumstances that ultimately pushed these individuals to leave the group.
Does Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey include actual footage from the community?
Yes, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey includes rare home video footage. This visual evidence is presented alongside interviews with ex-FLDS members to provide an authentic look at the truth regarding the events and the isolated community described in the documentary.
Who provides the perspective in Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey?
The perspective in Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is provided by ex-FLDS members. These individuals share their personal accounts through interviews to explain the reality of their former isolated community and the reasons behind their decision to leave.