Perhaps you've jumped on the bandwagon of the HBO Max docuseries "The Vow," a nine-episode look inside the Albany, New York-based cult NXIVM (which remains in the news to this day). It's become the buzziest topic of Sunday night TV Twitter, as viewers tune in each week to try and understand how the volleyball-obsessed, self-declared "smartest man in the world" Keith Raniere swindled a handful of CW actresses and a whole lot of other folks, including many rich and powerful, as well as the Dalai Lama.
Directed by Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, "The Vow" expertly drops bombshell revelations at the end of each week's episode as cliffhangers to keep us hooked, like the horrific brandings inflicted on women, and top-secret slave-master groups. But the popularity of the show proves we're collectively obsessed with, or at least very intrigued by, the inner workings of cults, seeking to understand how average people are able to be controlled and manipulated in such a way. It is a detailed exploration of how one man can present a rather banal-seeming self-help "executive success program," which turns out to be a bait and switch for a mind-controlling cult that benefits him, sexually, financially and emotionally.
"The Vow" has two more episodes left to go, but if you're searching for more cult content, which is certainly relevant in this cultural moment, here's a breakdown of a few favorite cult documentaries (it's not all just Manson, Jonestown and Heaven's Gate).
The Emmy-winning docuseries "Wild Wild Country" similarly gripped audiences in early 2018. Directed by sibling directing team Maclain and Chapman Way, the series debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and follows the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, aka Osho, and his followers, known as the Rajneeshee. In the early '80s, this group, known as the Rajneeshpuram, caused tension when they settled in Oregon, even leading to the United States' first bioterror attack during a local election, when members poisoned salad ingredients with salmonella. Watch it on Netflix.
Much like "The Vow," which features former members of NXIVM and their extensive footage captured inside the group, the 2016 documentary "Holy Hell" is another cult documentary directed by a former member. Director Will Allen was deeply involved in the Buddhafield cult, a "meditation group" active in the 1990s in Los Angeles. He fell under the spell of its leader, Michel, a man who instituted mandatory ballet classes and cold river plunges, but was also incredibly abusive to members of the group. It's available on IMDb TV with ads or for a $3.99 rental on Amazon and other platforms.
For something more in line with the 1970s cults we're familiar with, the 2012 doc "The Source Family," directed by Jodi Wille and Maria Demopoulos, follows the group known as The Source Family, led by Father Yod. They were known for their long white robes, famous vegetarian restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, and their groovy psychedelic rock music. Dive deeper into the source for free with ads on Vudu and Tubi, or with a library card membership on Kanopy.
Prolific documentarian Alex Gibney based his 2015 doc "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" on Lawrence Wright's blockbuster book. The film details the terrifying tactics used by Scientology to control members, and against anyone who left or was deemed a "suppressive person." It also explains how Scientology has enriched their coffers with lucrative real estate deals and tax loopholes. Check it out on HBO or Kanopy.
Two great recent narrative features about cults are also available to stream. Karyn Kusama's 2015 film "The Invitation" features a creepy Los Angeles dinner party that turns into a recruitment meeting. Stream it on Netflix. In 2019, "American Pyscho" director Mary Harron and writer Guinevere Turner (who was herself raised in a cult) collaborated on a fascinating exploration into the cult mentality with "Charlie Says," in which a young social worker, played by Merritt Weaver, works to deprogram the Manson Girls in prison in the 1970s. Watch it now on Showtime and Fubo.
