3 Horrifying True Crime Documentaries That Show The Dark Side Of Cults
From seemingly harmless self-help groups to full-blown doomsday cults, here are 10 jaw-dropping documentaries that’ll leave you questioning just how thin the line between devotion and destruction really is.
Most of us think we’d never fall for a cult, but here are 10 documentaries that expose just how easily even the smartest people can get tangled up in something dangerous when they’re feeling vulnerable. Whether it’s celebrities or college students, these folks were just trying to find some connection or meaning. Instead, they found manipulative leaders who twisted their good intentions into something harmful. These documentaries remind us just how easy it is for the line between seeking something better and losing yourself completely to blur.
The Vow (2020)
This HBO series dives into the completely wild story of how a so-called “self-help group” called NVIXM ended up turning into an actual sex cult right under everyone’s noses. The most jaw-dropping part is seeing footage of Hollywood stars and executives buying into Keith Raniere’s pseudoscientific nonsense about “personal growth.” The documentary team got amazing access, including members’ video diaries as they started to realize how deep they were in. It’s especially heartbreaking watching Mark Vicente and Sarah Edmondson wake up to the fact that they not only fell for it but also led others into it for years.
The series takes its time showing how smart people got sucked in through seemingly innocent “executive success programs” before things went completely off the rails with the branding-women-like-cattle nightmare. The real hook is seeing how manipulation works from the inside out. If you think you’d never fall for something like this, you might want to think again after watching. Watch The Vow on Max.
Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (2023)
Just when you think cult documentaries can’t get any crazier, there’s Amy Carlson, a former McDonald’s manager who convinced her followers she was literally God in a human body. This doc traces her bizarre journey to becoming “Mother God” and building her cult through YouTube and social media. Amy’s daily “spiritual updates” are kind of funny until you realize how tragic the consequences were.
What makes this doc especially powerful is the stark difference between the group’s sparkly, positive social media presence and the disturbing reality behind the scenes. Former members sharing the moment they realized ‘Mother God’ was just a troubled person is both heartbreaking and revealing. When Amy’s story wraps up with her death and the bizarre mummification attempts, it feels surreal to think this happened in the TikTok era. Watch Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God on Max.
Sins of Our Mother (2022)
Buckle up for the absolutely wild story of Lori Vallow, a mom who transformed into someone who was convinced her kids were zombies, all because of twisted doomsday beliefs. The documentary takes us through Lori’s shocking transformation, pieced together through interviews with family and news footage.It’s pretty eerie watching Lori’s old home videos, where everything looks picture-perfect, and knowing what was actually going on beneath the surface. Chad Daybell, this doomsday author who said he could see people’s ‘light or dark spirits,’ ended up leading Lori down a really dark path.
The doc doesn’t shy away from showing how these extreme beliefs led to real-life murders, including her own children. By the end, it’s impossible not to wonder how faith got twisted so far that it led to such devastating actions. Watch Sins of Our Mother on Netflix.