Watch the 16 Best Cult Documentaries Streaming Now on Hulu
September 12, 2024
The world behind the closed doors of a cult is both terrifying and fascinating — like a labyrinth of manipulation and charisma that lures unsuspecting followers into its web.
To an outsider, the tactics of these spiritual charlatans and radical ideologues might seem alarmingly obvious. Yet the true horror lies in how subtly the descent into a cult can begin. Often, it’s only when you’re in too deep that the reality becomes clear.
For those who revel in the dark corners of the human psyche, crave the suspense of true crime docs, or simply want to arm themselves against falling prey to the next headline-making faction — Hulu’s collection of cult documentaries offers a gripping look into the most infamous cults, past and present.
Best Cult Documentaries Streaming on Hulu
TW: These documentaries discuss sensitive and potentially distressing topics related to cults, including manipulation, abuse, extreme behaviors, and death. Viewer discretion is advised.
1. Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God
Amy Carlson, also known by her followers as “Mother God,” believed she was Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, and God reincarnated. As a self-proclaimed spiritual savior, Carlson built a devout online following through her manifestos and live streams.
Hulu subscribers can discover the controversial life and death of Amy Carlson in the HBO Original documentary series, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, with the Hulu, MaxⓇ, and Disney+ bundle.
Watch: Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God*
*Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription.
2. Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
This spine-chilling Hulu Original docuseries takes an in-depth look at the scandal involving convicted felon Larry Ray and the college students he exploited and trafficked at Sarah Lawrence College in 2010. As Ray serves a 60-year prison sentence, survivors are coming forward to share their harrowing experiences, featuring exclusive photos and video footage.
Watch: Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
3. Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown (2024)
One of the largest mass murders in history is held in the hands of Jim Jones — the leader of the infamous Peoples Temple cult. Through charismatic leadership, religious manipulation, and physical isolation, Jim Jones was able to convince over 900 men, women, and children to end their lives.
The National Geographic docuseries, Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown, explores that dreadful day and the moments that led to it told through the perspectives of survivors.
Continue the story by also streaming Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre on Hulu.
Watch: Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown
4. Daughters of the Cult
In an intense five-episode docuseries, the survivors and eye witnesses of the notorious “Mormon Manson” cult reveal their dark pasts and expose decades of violence and abuse committed by cult leader, Ervil LeBaron.
Watch: Daughters of the Cult
5. Escaping Evil: My Life in a Cult
From the notorious Peoples Temple and the Fundamentalist Church of the Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) to the bloodshed caused by the brainwashing of cult leader Yahweh Ben Yahweh, former cult members recount what it was like to live within their respective communities.
Watch: Escaping Evil: My Life in a Cult
6. The Vow
Founded in the late ’90s by Keith Raniere, NXIVM (pronounced Nexium) portrayed itself as a life coaching and professional development company, offering courses and seminars designed to help members achieve their personal and professional goals. What the public didn’t see was the secret societies, abuse, and psychological torture happening beneath the surface.
Discover the story from its start through the memories and experiences of former members in the HBO Original docuseries, The Vow, streaming now with the Hulu, Max, and Disney+ Bundle.
Watch: The Vow*
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*The Vow is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription.
7. Seduced: My Life in the NXIVM Cult
After escaping NXIVM, India Oxenberg has since become an advocate by raising awareness of cults and abusive organizations. In Seduced, Oxenberg shares her NXIVM experience and how it led her to a life of activism.
Watch: Seduced: My Life in the NXIVM Cult*
*Seduced: My Life in the NXIVM requires STARZ® on Hulu add-on subscription. STARZ and related channels and service marks are the property of STARZ Entertainment, LLC. All other titles and related trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
8. Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults
Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles led the “Heaven’s Gate” cult, acquiring a group of members through their charisma, manipulation, and the promise of eternal heaven through the process of shedding their human bodies and becoming aliens.
Learn more about this cult story with the ABC 20/20 special, The Cult Next Door.
Watch: Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults*
Sign Up for the Hulu, Max, and Disney+ Bundle
*Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription.
9. Deadly Cults
It’s four hours spanning four episodes, featuring four different yet similarly unhinged cults. From a “prophet” convincing his followers to commit murder to a vampire coven preparing their next sacrifice — Deadly Cults is a docuseries exposing the unbelievable stories of cults that kill.
Watch: Deadly Cults*
*Live TV plan required to watch live content on Hulu. Regional restrictions, blackouts, and additional terms apply.
10. Prisoner of the Prophet (2023)
The 65th wife of Warren Jeffs has never told her full story — until now.
The former leader of the FLDS is one of the most infamous cult leaders of modern times. He’s known for arranging underage marriages, committing acts of sexual assault, and creating an environment of manipulation, control, and abuse.
The victims of Jeffs are no longer “keeping sweet.” Hear their harrowing stories in the documentary, Prisoner of the Prophet — available to stream with the Hulu and Max Bundle.
Watch: Prisoner of the Prophet*
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*Prisoner of the Prophet is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription.
11. The Synanon Fix: Did the Cure Become a Cult?
What started as a game-changing drug rehabilitation program in 1958 became deadly. Synanon’s founder, Charles Dederich, turned early success into an opportunity to execute authoritarian power over those with and without addiction struggles.
Discover the rise and fall of Synanon through the perspectives of those who lived it in the docuseries, The Synanon Fix: Did the Cure Become a Cult? — available to stream now with the Hulu and Max Bundle.
Watch: The Synanon Fix: Did the Cure Become a Cult?*
Sign Up for the Hulu, Max, and Disney+ Bundle
*The Synanon Fix: Did the Cure Become a Cult is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription.
12. The Garden: Commune or Cult
The Garden is an off-grid community in Tennessee accused of cult activity following a chain of leery social media posts. The attention led the group to uproot from their Tennessee base and move to a new property in Missouri to find new members.
The Garden blurs the line between community and cult. Is their way of life just different from societal norms, or is there something more sinister happening beneath the surface?
Watch: The Garden: Commune or Cult*
*Live TV plan required to watch live content on Hulu. Regional restrictions, blackouts, and additional terms apply.
13. Cult Justice
Cult Justice is an eight-episode docuseries revealing the dark world of criminal cults by breaking down the investigative efforts that led to the downfall of their leaders. Each episode explores a different cult and features survivors who helped bring these deceptive figures to justice.
Watch: Cult Justice
14. IMPACT x Nightline: Secrets of the 2×2 Church
In this episode of IMPACT by Nightline, ABC investigative reporter Kyra Phillips explores the secretive 2×2 Church, revealing allegations of child sexual abuse and cover-ups by top leaders. Former members break their silence, exposing the sect’s crimes and abuse.
Watch: IMPACT x Nightline: Secrets of the 2×2 Church
15. The Secrets of Hillsong
Explore the dramatic rise and fall of Hillsong Church, once a place of worship for celebrities like Justin Bieber, as it faces scandal and moral misconduct by founder Carl Wentz. The FX Original docuseries, The Secrets of Hill Song, is available to stream now on Hulu.
Watch: The Secrets of Hillsong
16. Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion (2024)
Uncover the dark side of the popular fast fashion brand, Brandy Melville, and their Instagram-perfect image in the HBO Original documentary series, Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion. Former employees unravel the facade and expose Brandy Melville for their cheaply and unethically made clothing and their corporate culture built on racism and body shaming.
Watch: Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion*
*Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion is available on Hulu with a Max® add-on subscription.
