Nine Perfect Strangers
A wellness retreat with eccentric forms of therapy? Let's pause before signing up. Tranquillum House leader Masha Dmitrichenko (Nicole Kidman) seems to be concealing a dark past and perhaps even darker future as she convinces a group of misfits to "surrender" themselves to her methods.
Nine Perfect Strangers is now streaming on Hulu.
The Vow
HBO Max docuseries The Vow tells a tale almost too gruesome to believe: charismatic leader Keith Raniere of supposed self-improvement group NXIVM was convicted of sex trafficking, identity theft and other charges in 2019. Survivors and former NXIVM elites tell their story.
The Vow is streaming on HBO Max.
Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult
Starz took on the NXIVM cult through the eyes of high-profile member India Oxenberg, who also also executive produced the docuseries.
Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Waco
A fictional retelling of the 51-day fatal standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas are at the center of the 2018 Netflix miniseries Waco, starring Michael Shannon as a sympathetic agent and Taylor Kitsch as commune leader David Koresh.
Waco is available on Netfix.
Leah Remini: Scientology and The Aftermath
Actress Leah Remini details her escape from Scientology and interviews other former members in the A&E documentary.
Leah Remini: Scientology is available on Netflix.
Helter Skelter: An American Myth
Charles Manson and his "family" are at the center of this six-part Epix miniseries, which premiered in 2020.
Helter Skelter: An American Myth is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Aquarius
The Manson family gets the fictional treatment in NBC's Aquarius starring David Duchovny as an LAPD detective researching the disappearance of a teen girl, only to find that she has joined the ranks of Charles Manson's cult.
Aquarius is available on Peacock.
Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle
The Sundance Now docuseries explores the rise of Peoples Temple preacher and Jonestown founder Jim Jones who encouraged his followers to kill themselves. In 1978, more than 900 of his followers were found dead by apparent suicide at Jonestown.
Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre
The two-hour A&E special takes audiences inside the minds of four women who helped plan the 1978 Jonestown Massacre.
Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults
The four-part HBO Max docuseries focuses on a small Oregon town, which, over the course of 22 years lost 20 people in mysterious disappearances. By 1997, the infamous UFO cult took part in the largest mass suicide in the U.S. led by Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite.
Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults is available on HBO Max.
The Following
Kevin Bacon stars as a former FBI agent who is intent on recapturing an escaped serial killer after learning that the killer's infamy has led to a cult of murderers.
The Following is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Deprogrammed
Deprogrammed unravels the anti-cult crusade, helmed by Ted "Black Lightning" Patrick who pioneered the art of deprogramming, also known as reverse brainwashing, in the early 1970s.
Deprogrammed is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Wild Wild Country
The 2018 Netflix docuseries Wild Wild Country captivated audiences with the little-known story behind an Oregon-based utopia town occupied by a cult, led by controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his personal assistant Ma Anand Sheela.
Wild Wild Country is available on Netflix.
The Leftovers
Beloved HBO series The Leftovers, based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, answers what would happen if the Rapture took away 2 percent of the world's population. Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon star in the supernatural drama series that grapples with finding purpose in the apocalypse.
The Leftovers is available on HBO Max.
Sacred Lies
Jason Blum executive produced this fictional Facebook Watch series that follows a group of teenagers who escape from a cult, only to then be accused of killing its leader.
Sacred Lies is available on Peacock.
Prophets Prey
The Showtime documentary traces the capture of Warren Jeffs, the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, after he was convicted of raping young girls. Jeffs is still running the religious sect from a Texas state prison as he serves a life sentence.
Prophets Prey is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Deadly Cults
From vampire clans to literal snake charmers, the Oxygen series Deadly Cults unveils every mysterious, fatal and often lesser-known cult in the U.S.
Deadly Cults is available on Peacock.
American Horror Story: Cult
What would a cults roundup be without American Horror Story: Cult? The seventh season of the beloved FX anthology series takes place in a fictional Michigan suburb where a cult terrorizes locals after Donald Trump wins the election. Doesn't sound so fantastical now, does it?
The Path
A family begins to question their faith as part of fictional religious cult Meyerism in this Hulu series starring Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan and Hugh Dancy.
The Path is available on Hulu.