“Brigham City” is the only LDS film written as a mystery/drama. This is a unique take on the Mormon movie movement since the majority of the movies fall into the category of romantic comedy or drama. “Brigham City” is Richard Dutcher’s second film that he has made for the Mormon movie market.
This movie is set in Brigham City a small Utah town. The movie opens with a murder. The town tenses up as they realize that the suspect might be one of them. Sheriff Wes Clayton is also one of the bishops in town. He struggles to figure out who the suspect must be. The situation only worsens as another girl is murdered, and then another one goes missing. It seems that Sheriff Clayton will not be able to find the killer. He takes it to the Lord and makes it a manner of prayer. The killer is a surprise to everyone.
Sheriff Clayton also deals with guilt as he is unable to find the killer and more deaths take place. In the dual role of bishop and sheriff you see how his roles can cause feelings of guilt and strain. This is also a look inside the personal struggle of responsibility and consequences.
Richard Dutcher takes a mystery and adds the Mormon twist to it. It is interesting to watch how the LDS culture affects the different aspects of the movie. Richard Dutcher has also released “God’s Army,” “God’s Army 2: States of Grace” and is working on “The Prophet: The Story of Joseph Smith.”
This is a good movie to watch. It is very suspenseful. The actors are believable. Wilford Brimley has a role in the movie as well. If you enjoy a good suspense movie, then you will enjoy this second movie by Richard Dutcher. It is rated PG-13 and because of the murders, it would be best if you did not have your young children watch it.