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11 Documentaries About Cults (And How to Watch Them)

Pabio October 29, 2024

Are you interested in cults? I’m talking about watching documentaries and docuseries that dive deep into groups like People’s Temple, Heaven’s Gate, Children of God, and various others. If so, you’re in luck, because some of the best streaming services There are all kinds of feature-length documentaries and series about some of the most notorious cults.

From in-depth examinations of the rise and fall of spiritual groups, to engaging and intense interviews with former members, to detailed explorations of cult mentality, each of these societal aspects , cultural and sometimes true crime documentaries offers a good overview of the world of cults…

Jim Jones in Cult Massacre: A Day in Jonestown — (Image credit: NGC/Hulu)

Cult Massacre: A Day in Jonestown (2024)

The Director: Marianne Mohamed
Number of episodes: 3
What is it: The history and legacy of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple New Age religious organization is explored in detail, beginning with the group’s humble beginnings through its disastrous end in which 909 people lost their lives.
Why it’s worth checking out: There are countless documentaries about Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple cult, but few have the scope and scale of these. Cult Massacre: A Day in Jonestown. Interviews with survivors, archival footage, and a delicate tone make this a must-see.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Wild Country (2018)

The Director: Maclain Lane, Chapman Lane
Number of episodes: 6
What is it: Controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his Rajneeshpuram community in northern Oregon are explored in depth, including the peaceful rise and violent demise of the sect.
Why it’s worth checking out: Fans of cult documentaries as well as Netflix’s true crime shows will find something to love in this insightful and gripping six-part documentary about a group of followers who will do anything to appease their spiritual leader, even if it means carrying out a terrorist attack on a small community.

(Image credit: Max)

Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Lies (2020)

The Director: Clay Tweel
Number of episodes: 4
What is it: Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Lies spends four episodes exploring how Marshall Applewhite convinced the members of his new age religious group to turn away from the outside world and commit mass suicide in hopes of living among an alien race.
Why it’s worth checking out: Heaven’s Gate’s suicide was one of the biggest news stories of the ’90s, but the band’s origins have always been a bit murky. Clay Tweel’s 2020 documentary takes a deep dive into the cult and the people who gave up everything to be a part of its ranks.

(Image credit: HBO)

The wish (2020 – 2022)

The Director: Jehane Noujaim, Karim Amer
Number of episodes: 9 (Season 1); 6 (Season 2)
What is it: Two former high-ranking members of the NXIVM cult decided to expose the group’s leader, Keith Raniere, for the various financial and sexual crimes he allegedly committed over several decades.
Why it’s worth checking out: NXIVM was one of the most notorious cults of the 21st century, and The wish does a wonderful job of looking beyond the headlines and seeing how it transformed from a mutual aid group into a massive criminal organization whose leaders were convicted of heinous crimes.

(Image credit: HBO Films)

Children of God: Lost and Found (2007)

The Director: Noah Thomson
Length of documentary: 66 minutes
What is it: Former Children of God member Noah Thomson takes an eye-opening journey to track down other young adults who have left the controversial Christian sect.
Why it’s worth checking out: Released in 2007, Children of God: Lost and Found was a cult documentary that laid the foundation for what would follow years later. Dark but hopeful, it’s a must-see.

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(Image credit: Max)

Love Won: Worship of Mother God (2023

The Director: Hannah Olson
Number of episodes: 3
What is it: This three-part documentary series examines the life and death of Amy Carlson, the leader of the Love Has Won religious movement, and how the unorthodox spiritual leader went from a seemingly normal person to the creation of a cult.
Why it’s worth checking out: Love Won: Worship of Mother God provides a lot of information to its audience about the cult and its leader, but it does so with great empathy, consideration, and heart. Featuring stories from those who knew Carlson best, this insightful and moving series is worth watching.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Waco: American Apocalypse (2023)

The Director: Till Russell
Number of episodes: 3
What is it: A three-part documentary detailing the 51-day standoff between the Branch Davidians and the FBI and ATF that ended in tragedy, while also chronicling everything leading up to the explosive episode.
Why it’s worth checking out: There are countless documentaries about David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, and Waco: the American Apocalypse is one of the best and most complete on the subject.

(Image credit: Max)

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin (2021 – 2022)

The Director: Marina Zenovich
Number of episodes: 5
What is it: This five-part documentary looks at Gwen Shamblin, her role in the formation of Weighing workshop diet program and the Christian group Remnant Fellowship, and how it all fell apart.
Why it’s worth checking out: The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin is an eye-opening and heartbreaking deep dive into the world of health fads, the prosperity gospel, and what happens when someone clings too tightly for control.

(Image credit: Netflix)

How to Become a Cult Leader (2023)

The Director: Ron Myrick, Tim Rauch, Greg Franklin
Number of episodes: 6
What is it: A complementary piece to 2021 Netflix original docuseries How to become a dictatorthis six-part documentary details the lives, legacies and brutality of figures like Charles Manson, Jim Jones and Shoko Asahara.
Why it’s worth checking out: If you want to learn a lot about cult leaders but don’t want to spend too much time with each character, How to Become a Cult Leader will do the trick. It’s informative and entertaining, and features excellent narration by Peter Dinklage.

(Image credit: HBO)

Go further: Scientology and the prison of belief (2015)

The Director: Alex Gibney
Length of documentary: 120 minutes
What is it: Alex Gibney’s 2015 documentary, To Be Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief pulls no punches in its exploration of the controversial church that many consider a cult in its beliefs and actions.
Why it’s worth checking out: Although Scientology is technically a religious movement, this documentary, which we said “shock, surprise and fascinate” in 2015, is one of the best at breaking through the walls of the group and its most prominent members.

We hope that each of these documentaries and docuseries will help you better understand cults, how they rise to power, and why so many people have joined them over the years.

Pabio

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