Are you interested in cults? I'm talking about watching documentaries and docuseries that take deep dives into groups like the Peoples Temple, Heaven’s Gate, Children of God, and various others. If so, you’re in luck, as some of the best streaming services around have all kinds of feature-length documentary films and series about some of the most notorious cults.
Whether it’s in-depth looks at the rise and fall of spiritual groups, engaging and intense interviews with former members, or detailed explorations of the mentality of cults, each of these societal, cultural, and sometimes true crime documentaries offers a great deal of insight into the world of cults…
Cult Massacre: One Day In Jonestown (2024)
The Director: Marian Mohamed
Number Of Episodes: 3
What It’s About: The history and legacy of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple new age religious organization is explored in great detail, starting with the group’s humble beginnings to 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 Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown. Interviews with survivors, archival footage, and a delicate tone make this a must-watch.
Wild Wild Country (2018)
The Director: Maclain Way, Chapman Way
Number Of Episodes: 6
What It’s About: Controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his Rajneeshpuram community in Northern Oregon are thoroughly explored, including the cult's peaceful rise and violent demise.
Why It’s Worth Checking Out: Fans of cult documentaries as well as Netflix’s true crime shows will find something to like in this insightful and exciting six-part documentary about a group of followers who would do anything to appease their spiritual leader, even if it means carrying out a terrorist attack on a small community.
Heaven's Gate: The Cult Of Lies (2020)
The Director: Clay Tweel
Number Of Episodes: 4
What It’s About: 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 amongst an alien race.
Why It’s Worth Checking Out: The Heaven’s Gate suicide was one of the biggest news stories of the ‘90s, but the group’s origins were always a little murky. Clay Tweel’s 2020 documentary takes a deep dive into the cult and the people who dropped everything to be in its ranks.
The Vow (2020 - 2022)
The Director: Jehane Noujaim, Karim Amer
Number Of Episodes: 9 (Season 1); 6 (Season 2)
What It’s About: Two former high-ranking members of the NXIVM cult set out to expose the group’s leader, Keith Raniere, for the various financial and sex crimes they allege he committed over multiple decades.
Why It’s Worth Checking Out: NXIVM was one of the most notorious cults of the 21st century, and The Vow does a tremendous job of going beyond the headlines to see how it transformed from a self-help group to a massive criminal organization whose leaders were convicted of heinous crimes.
Children Of God: Lost And Found (2007)
The Director: Noah Thomson
Documentary Length: 66 Minutes
What It’s About: Former Children of God member Noah Thomson goes on an eye-opening journey to find other young adults who have left the controversial Christian cult.
Why It’s Worth Checking Out: Released back in 2007, Children of God: Lost and Found was a landmark cult documentary that laid the foundation for what was to follow years later. Bleak yet hopeful, this is a must.
Love Has Won: The Cult Of Mother God (2023
The Director: Hannah Olson
Number Of Episodes: 3
What It’s About: This three-part documentary series looks at the life and death of Amy Carlson, the leader of the Love Has Won religious movement, and how the unorthodox spiritual leader transformed from a seemingly normal person to starting a cult.
Why It’s Worth Checking Out: Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God does provide a lot of information to its audience about the cult and its leader, but it does so with a great deal of empathy, consideration, and heart. Featuring stories from those who knew Carlson best, this insightful and emotional series is worth a watch.
Waco: American Apocalypse (2023)
The Director: Tiller Russell
Number Of Episodes: 3
What It’s About: 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 that led to the explosive episode.
Why It’s Worth Checking Out: There are countless documentaries about David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, and Waco: American Apocalypse is one of the best and most thorough on the subject.
The Way Down: God, Greed And The Cult Of Gwen Shamblin (2021 - 2022)
The Director: Marina Zenovich
Number Of Episodes: 5
What It’s About: This five-part documentary looks at Gwen Shamblin, her role in the formation of the Weigh Down Workshop diet program and Remnant Fellowship Christian group, and how it all came crashing down.
Why It’s Worth Checking Out: The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin is an eye-opening and gut-wrenching deep dive into the world of health fads, the prosperity gospel, and what happens when someone holds onto too tightly to control.
How To Become A Cult Leader (2023)
The Director: Ron Myrick, Tim Rauch, Greg Franklin
Number Of Episodes: 6
What It’s About: A companion piece to the 2021 Netflix original docuseries How to Become a Dictator, this six-part documentary details the lives, legacy, 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 figure, How to Become a Cult Leader will do the trick. It’s informative and entertaining, and features great narration by Peter Dinklage.
Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison Of Belief (2015)
The Director: Alex Gibney
Documentary Length: 120 Minutes
What It’s About: Alex Gibney’s 2015 documentary, Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief pulls no punches with its exploration of the controversial church that many consider to be cult-like in its beliefs and actions.
Why It’s Worth Checking Out: Though Scientology is technically a religious movement, this documentary, which we said “shocks, startles, and enthralls” back in 2015, is one of the best to break through the walls of the group and its high-profile members.
Each of these documentaries and docuseries will hopefully help you better understand cults, how they come into power, and why so many have joined them over the years.
