Pray Away

PG-13

2020

1 hr. 41 min.

Documentary

LGBTQ+

List

92%

49 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Five evangelicals in the 1970s break away and form Exodus International, a group that claims that gay people can become straight through prayer and conversion therapy.

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Netflix

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Critics Consensus

Pray Away presents a compassionate picture of the damage wrought by so-called conversion therapy -- on its subjects as well as its proponents.

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Gareth v

While this documentary does a fine job in conveying the pain inflicted by conversion therapy, it doesn't really add anything new on the topic and does seem to skim the surface on what is important subject.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/23

Full Review

UneXplainabl

I watched this while working on a puzzle and it was interesting. I think I know some people who should watch it and learn something. I'd recommend if you want some authentic stories of people from the ex-gay movement, and people who got out of it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/19/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Harrowing tales of gay conversion put into perspective. Would have rated higher but the first 40-50 mins of this documentary seems to be an apology party to make the ex leaders of exodus feel better about what they did

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Could have used a bit of narration for a more cohesive story arc

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/20/21

Full Review

dave s

Pray Away meticulously details the horrors wrought by organized religion, in this case conversion therapy inflicted on homosexuals by the Christian organization Exodus International. Told primarily from the perspective of those who have gone through the ugly process, it puts the spotlight on an inhumane practice that serves to degrade the humanity of its victims all while under the delusion that it is guided by a loving and compassionate god. There are times when it feels as though there are simply too many talking heads, but it remains a powerful and touching documentary of a grotesque practice that is still accepted by some Evangelicals.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

johann m

An important documentary which follows five evangelicals in the 1970s who formed Exodus International, a group that claims that gay people can become straight through prayer and conversion therapy. Here they contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma. This empathetic film deals with the far-reaching effects and inevitably tragic damage that this kind of "therapy" can inflict on vulnerable lives and how awful and traumatic it is. It should forever be condemned, but it is very satisfying to see the previous leaders of the movement come to their senses and be the ones speaking out about these horrors and their mistakes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Carlos Aguilar

Los Angeles Times

With every added account of shameful contrition, the realization that this issue exists very much in the present tense weighs heavy on the viewer...

Aug 6, 2021

Full Review

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

A chilling film...

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2021

Full Review

Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

For all its sobering and poignant moments, Pray Away also has its stories of triumph...

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 4, 2021

Full Review

Eve Tushnet

Patheos

I obviously am down for exposing the evils of conversion therapy, but as a work of art, this is pretty pedestrian, and as reportage, it’s mostly done better elsewhere.

Mar 24, 2023

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

What Kristen Stolakis’s Pray Away does so well, and powerfully so, is listen.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 9, 2022

Full Review

Michael Cuby

them.

Though certain moments can feel hard to stomach, Pray Away does prove necessary, particularly for those who are still blind to just how deleterious this practice can be.

Sep 26, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Five evangelicals in the 1970s break away and form Exodus International, a group that claims that gay people can become straight through prayer and conversion therapy.

Director: Kristine Stolakis
Executive Producer: Leslie Berriman, Katy Drake Bettner, Jason Blum, Jim Butterworth
Production Co: Naked Edge Films, Chicken And Egg Pictures, Ryan Murphy Productions, Blumhouse Productions, Secret Sauce Media , Artemis Rising Foundation, Lamplighter Films, Multitude Films
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual References|Brief Partial Nudity|Mature Audiences|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Documentary, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 3, 2021

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