As of late, cults seem to have replaced true crime as our non-fiction genre of choice. From the success of Cults the podcast to a number of different television shows to the real-life NXIVM "sex cult" in upstate New York (leader Keith Raniere has just been arrested on sex trafficking charges), it seems our (admittedly disturbing) cultural interests might have moved on from serial killers to psychological coercion.
Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country about the Rajneesh movement is the latest offering on the subject. In case you haven't watched it (and you certainly should), its six episodes make for a fascinating deep dive. Beginning with the group's infiltration of the highly conservative small town Antelope in Oregon after 7,000 "Orange People" moved into a ranch nearby, the series follows the growth and decline of the movement, its controversial leader(s) and what would result in what is still the largest act of bioterrorism on US soil.
If you've blitzed through Wild Wild Country and are looking for more, Netflix has plenty of other documentaries and films on the subject of cults, groupthink and psychological coercion. Here, we take a look at the most interesting...
Children Of God
Yes, this British made-for-TV doc is a little dated (check out the intense action thriller soundtrack) but it's narrated by Helen Mirren and provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the Padillas – a family who spent 18 years living in the Family International (previously known as the Children Of God).
Started by David Berg in 1968, the Children of God was a cult which was later ruled to have sexually and physically abused some of its members, many of them as children. The documentary makes for a disturbing watch.
Watch it here.
Deprogrammed
Life in a cult is one thing, but what happens to cult members after they leave? There could be years of psychological brainwashing to undo. Watch films Martha Marcy May Marlene and the 1981 Kim Cattrall-starring Ticket to Heaven for fictional examples.
Deprogrammed follows the work of Ted Patrick, an ex-cult member who dedicated his life to "deprogramming" people from cult life. Some of his work was highly controversial, even, as one expert says, "violating human rights". As a result, the documentary is split between people who praised his work, and those who abhorred it.
Watch it here.
Dangerous Persuasions
This documentary series is, um, a little cheesy. The dramatisations are, at best, very dramatic; at worst, completely OTT. Nevertheless, it makes for a good vehicle for individual stories about people who were victims of coercion.
Series 2 (the Netflix-available series) covers Scientology (although this episode is sadly missing from Netflix), the Free Love Ministries, white supremacist The Church of the Creator and Jonestown.
Watch it here.
Inside A Cult: Messiah On Trial
This is about the Lord Our Righteousness Church, an organisation headed up by Wayne Bent, a man who claimed to be the Messiah. Wayne, also known as Michael, was arrested and charged with sexual assault of minors. This documentary follows the court case in great detail.
Watch it here.
Enlighten Us
Perhaps you've heard of the sweat lodge deaths which occurred when three people died after taking part in "self-help" millionaire James Arthur Ray's very dangerous version of a Native American tradition.
This documentary follows his fall and attempt to return to the public eye after his court case and jail time. The film never forgets that at the heart of this story is the tragic death of three people.
Watch it here.
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