Our Favorite Things to Read, Watch and Listen To About Cults

So we all know that murder and cult documentaries are very popular right now, but I first fell into this world about 8 years ago when I went down a full on Scientology rabbit hole. Netflix and streaming services have helped to build a huge library of various documentaries and miniseries, but there are also so many good books (fiction and non-fiction) and podcasts out there. There are also SO MANY CULTS!! I think that is what blew my mind the most when I started getting into this topic, was just how much subject matter there is. We all know about the big ones, like Scientology, the Manson Family, the Branch Davidians, but there are many many more that are less notorious, but just as damaging. I hope this list helps to introduce you to one or two you didn’t know about, or where to dive deeper.

Our Favorite Things to Read, Watch and Listen To About Cults

Books

The Project by Courtney Summers: After Lo Denham is in a terrible accident that claims the lives of both of her parents, her older sister disappears into a religious group called The Unity Project. Now that she’s an adult and working as a journalist, Lo decides that she will find investigate claims that the group is a dangerous cult and find her sister. The author does a great job of capturing Lo’s vulnerable but determined mindset and the charismatic appeal of the Project’s leader.

The Girls by Emma Cline: While a lot has been been written about Charles Manson, this is one of the more recent books about the Manson family, and was the big read of the summer a few years ago. It follows Evie, a young girl who falls under the thrall of an older girl who eventually brings her to ranch to join the cult and it’s followers.

Educated by Tara Westover: This memoir is more of a “family cult” versus one that victimizes members of the public, but it was fascinating to read about her strict religious upbringing that distorted Mormonism. It also was interesting to see how long it took for her to break free from the suppressive nature of her family, all written beautifully.

Little Sister: A Memoir by Patricia Chadwick: Fun fact, our family actually knows the author of this book, and she really did grow up in a cult run by a former Catholic priest in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Preying on unlikely victims - highly educated Harvard and Radcliffe graduates, the leater takes control of the children of his followers with strict rules, which Patricia pushed against until she was banished at 17. It is such an incredible story, especially when it has happened to someone you know.

The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon: Phoebe and Will Kendall meet at a presitigious university, from very different backgrounds. They fall in love, but Phoebe gets drawn into a secretive cult and Will has to balance pursuing his future while also trying to save her from the violence that surrounds the group and it’s leader. It is such a haunting book, but I couldn’t put it down.

Podcasts

Cults: I fell deep into a streak of listening to this podcast a few years ago - it has two hosts, one of whom has a background in psychology, and it discusses each cult in two episodes - one that focuses on the cult leader and how they came to be in that position, and the second on their followers and the crimes and manipulations they were drawn into.

Last Podcast on the Left: This podcast covers a wide range of horrific content - serial killers, demons, infamous criminals, and of course, they have a bunch of great episodes on Cults. It’s definitely one of the bigger pods in the true crime world, but with good reason!

Cultish: I haven’t actually listened to this one, but I have heard so many good things!

Documentary Series

The Vow (HBO Max): I was so riveted by the NXIVM cult when this story first came out in the New York Times, from the c-list celebrities, the women being branded, the “slaves,” plus the seemingly dorky man who was the leader of it all. This series was so well done - each episode peels back another layer of how they managed to manipulate their followers, highlighting a different key person and their journey both into and out of the cult. The big bonus here is that they were all recording most of their conversations, and one of the ex-members is a filmmaker who had video of big events and chunks of times. Bonus NXIVM show - Seduced (watch on Starz/Hulu) which is about India Oxenberg, the member of the cult whose mother Catherine was the driving force behind The Vow as she tried to rescue her daughter.

Wild Wild Country (Netflix): Produced by the Duplass brothers, whose work I usually love, this series is about an Indian cult leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho), his closest advisor, Ma Anand Sheela, and the “utopian” community they built with their followers in Oregon. Between conflicts with the small town they moved into and bioterror attacks, it’s one of the most famous cults in US history.

Going Clear (HBO Max): This was a book first, by Lawrence Wright, but it was one of the initial big public swings at Scientology. A notoriously secretive organization, Wright has more than 200 interviews with former members that reveal what exactly they worship, how it all works, what is happening behind closed doors and just how and why they make it so hard to leave. While the Leah Remini show is definitely a little bit more glossy, it’s many of the same former members and stories.

A few bonus movies and shows to watch that are fictional and/or based on the truth:

Big Love: The HBO Mormon polygamist classic about a family on the fringes of a polygamist cult.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: More about Leo/Brad and Margot Robie as Sharon Tate, but still Manson-adjacent and great

Waco: Such a good cast (Julia Garner, Taylor Kitsch, Rory Culkin, John Leguizamo) follows 51 day standoff in 1993 between the US government FBI and ATF and the Branch Davidians cult.