Netflix just debuted the powerful official trailer for Pray Away, a new documentary that delves into the damage done by conversion therapy, with former conversion therapy leaders providing insight into the process. The documentary debuted at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and currently sits at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Hollywood Reporter calls the documentary “a sobering account of Christian intervention rooted in toxic homophobia” and Alliance of Women Film Journalists’ Sarah Ward says it’s “a poised, meticulous, wide-ranging but never flashy film.”
Netflix has set an August 3, 2021 premiere date.
Kristine Stolakis directs and produces, with Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum executive producing.
Pray Away Synopsis, Courtesy of Netflix:
In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a Bible study to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” They quickly received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world. But leaders struggled with a secret: their own “same-sex attractions” never went away.
After years as Christian superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, Pray Away chronicles the “ex gay” movement’s rise to power, persistent influence, and the profound harm it causes.
