There is something endlessly fascinating about cult documentaries. These films do more than tell the strange convictions and jaw-dropping actions of charismatic leaders—they lay bare the ways people are drawn into closed systems of control, devotion, and secrecy. From the spiritual communes to secret religious sects and psychological manipulation masquerading as self-help, these films provide a gripping look at the human desire for belonging—and what goes wrong when that need is taken advantage of.
If you’re ready to explore the most haunting, thought-provoking cult documentaries available to stream, these 10 titles are must-watches.
1. Wild Wild Country
This six-part Netflix documentary series recounts the stunning true story of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers, who attempted to establish a utopian city in the Oregon desert in the 1980s. What started as a spiritual movement degenerated into one of the most controversial periods in U.S. history, encompassing bioterrorism, courtroom drama, and clashes of cultures. It’s exquisitely shot, profoundly unsettling, and gripping.
2. The Family
Drawing on reporter Jeff Sharlet’s investigative reporting, The Family pulls back the veil of a powerful but secretive Christian group with a long history in Washington, D.C. politics. Based on the National Prayer Breakfast, it has shaped global leaders for decades quietly. The series is raising pointed questions about faith, power, and how readily ideology can be braided into governance out of public view.
3. Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
This disturbing series chronicles Warren Jeffs’s ascent and fall as head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While Jeffs took polygamy and submission to an extreme, his church was a study in how religion can be perverted into complete domination. Documented through survivor testimony and archival footage, Keep Sweet is an uncomfortable map of abuse disguised as piety.
4. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator
Bikram Choudhury was once a world yoga icon. But beneath the public persona was a dark history of abuse, manipulation, and accusations of rape. This documentary examines how the wellness industry’s fetish for charisma and physical beauty can put followers at risk—and how strong personalities tend to remain unchecked for far longer than they should.
5. The Keepers
Part murder mystery, part true crime exposé, The Keepers examines the still-unsolved 1969 killing of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a Catholic nun and teacher in Baltimore. As former students delve into connections with systemic abuse by the Church, the series is transformed into a haunting examination of silence, corruption, and the long journey to justice.
6. One of Us
Exiting a religious group is never simple, but for the participants of One of Us, it’s a life-changing act of courage. This film documents three individuals who leave the Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn, experiencing everything from loneliness and intimidation to the daunting reality of beginning anew. It’s an intimate, compelling examination of what occurs when tradition and individuality collide.
7. Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult
Narrated primarily through the eyes of India Oxenberg, Seduced provides a personal, emotional journey into what it’s like to become caught up in—and ultimately leave—a cult masquerading as a self-help organization. Through survivor testimony and expert analysis, the series exposes how ostensibly empowering doctrines can transform into coercion, control, and abuse.
8. Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
Bad Vegan may appear at first glance to be a true-crime story about a famous vegan chef and a con artist. But the deeper into it, the more it turns out to be a narrative about belief, manipulation, and mind control. What makes it so compelling is the way the supposed cult-like energies unfold within the midst of Manhattan, in the cutthroat world of food and celebrity.
9. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
While not a cult per se, The Jinx is an impeccable exploration of power, manipulation, and the cult of personality. Robert Durst, heir to the real estate fortune with a repugnant history, has a series of interviews that slowly disintegrate into something much more sinister. The last episode provides one of the most shocking turns in documentary history.
10. Tiger King
Tiger King at first appears to be a wild peek into the lives of collectors of exotic animals, but then it turns stranger still. Joe Exotic’s over-the-top antics, his true followers, and the strange rivalries that are central to his kingdom bend the definition of quirky business and cult worship. It is a weird, queasy ride that serves up the intoxicating power of charisma—and the menace of untrammeled obsession.
Cults do not always come dressed in a uniform. Some masquerade as spiritual awakenings, others as political movements, and some simply disguise themselves behind promises of self-help or community. What is common to these documentaries is that they illuminate the psychological, emotional, and social dynamics that enable cults to gain a hold, and the incredible strength it takes to escape.