12 TV Shows About Cults You Won't Be Able To Stop Watching

Cults have captivated audiences for years, as they tend to be shrouded in mystery and lies, making for the perfect premise to draw viewers in. They often take center stage, not just in the news, but also in Hollywood and the media industry at large. The more we learn about them, the more we want to know, although we are often left with more questions than we began with.

This premise also offers ripe and fertile soil for a range of genres, from true crime to drama and science fiction. There's no limit to what you can do with them, and countless possibilities for where they might take you. From "Yellowjackets" to "The Family," there's a plentiful pool to draw from if cults are your thing. Here are 12 shows about cults, both fictional and documentary-style, that will reel you in and send you down a seemingly inescapable journey of binge-watching.

"The Vow" is a six-part true-crime documentary series that takes an unflinching look into the inner workings of the infamous self-improvement organization NXIVM, and its now criminally-convicted leader, Keith Raniere. While they may brand themselves as a self-help community, it becomes more and more clear as the series progresses that this is nothing more than your run-of-the-mill cult, complete with brain-washing, sex-trafficking, conspiracy, and near-impossible escape.

The first season, which aired in 2020, revolves around the testimonials of several ex-NXIVM members, alongside some of the journalists who initially began reporting on the groups' cultish crimes. Catherine Oxenberg is also featured in the series, stealing the spotlight as she recalls her attempts to rescue her daughter from the cult's clutches, a story which took center stage in another docuseries, "Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult." The second season, which aired in 2022, centers on the legal trial of leader Keith Raniere, as well as his band of die-hard supporters.

"The Following" is a thriller series starring Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy, an ex-FBI agent set on re-capturing and jailing an escaped serial killer by the name of Joe Carroll. A former English professor inspired by romantic literature and the dark dalliances of writers like Edgar Allen Poe, Carroll was imprisoned for the brutal slaying of many of his female students. Upon his escape, he learns that he has gained a cult following of other murderous deviants with similar personal interests, who will do anything to help him complete his masterpiece.

While this series doesn't focus on the traditional cults of enlightenment and religion, it does share one primary characteristic: That of the charming and charismatic leader, whose powers of control and manipulation can influence followers to do unthinkable acts. While these are definitely willing followers, it does speak to the kind of brainwashing that occurs when one person commands an army of dangerously obedient soldiers. It's the perfect series for anyone who likes their cults with a splash of murder and mayhem, without all the been-there-done-that spiritual commentary.

"Orphan Black" is a sci-fi thriller series that opens with Sarah Manning, an amateur criminal, watching another woman walk in front of an oncoming train. The deceased woman is eerily similar in appearance to Sarah, so she takes advantage of the situation and steals this woman's identity. However, it soon becomes apparent that this resemblance is no coincidence, and is in fact part of a much broader web of conspiracy and control.

What makes this show a great fit for the cult genre is that there is not one, but two cults at the heart of the story. There's the Neolution Movement, an organization dedicated to progressing the science of eugenics in order to alter the course of human evolution. At the other end are the Proletheans, an extreme fundamentalist religious cult who are adamantly opposed to the mission of Neulotions, as they believe that what they are attempting to do is an abomination to divine creation and Christianity.

This show has it all: The traditional cultish chaos of brainwashing, religion, and murder, but also supernatural and scientific elements of bioengineering and cloning. Not only is it an intriguing mystery, where one pull of the thread only reveals ten more to unravel and explain, but it also offers substantiative commentary on the existential ethics of eugenics and identity.

"Wild Wild Country" is a documentary series that was released on Netflix in 2018, following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier that year. It's both artsy and accurate in its examination of the Rajneeshee cult, and their problematic Indian guru leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. While the organization and its teachings originated in Pune, India, they soon moved over to the United States and built a "utopian" commune in a remote, rural area near Wasco County, Oregon.

In the 1980s, following this move, the cult became extremely well-known across the country, mostly due to the extensive press coverage of their questionable dealings. Conspiracy, fraud, and abuse were just some of the many alleged offenses taking center stage in the media frenzy, and even now, decades later, people are still talking about it. The series itself is a mix of this news footage, as well as interviews with a few of the cult's ex-members. For those who like digging into dusted archives to uncover long-held secrets, this series has more than enough material to satisfy even the most intense investigative inclinations.

Marvel's "Runaways" centers on a group of teenagers who come to realize their parents just might be bona fide cult members. They don't actually call themselves a cult — they're more formally known as The Church of Gibborim — and they pose as your average public community church. However, if you look a little deeper, something sinister is going on behind the altar, with abduction, ritual sacrifice, and even alien worship happening on the regular after the service.

While there are some religious and true crime themes running along the show, it's actually more science-fiction-oriented, and even has some superheroes thrown into the mix. It does take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so that shouldn't come as a surprise. It's the perfect series for anyone who wants to watch a show about cults, but doesn't want to get too bogged down with the seriousness or tragedy that typically accompanies these shows. While "Runaways" has its fair share of darker moments, for the most part, it's content with being simply a good time.

"The Family" is a fascinating and disturbing documentary series that shines a light on the inner workings of the extreme fundamentalist Christian organization known as The Fellowship, aka The Family. This is an intense organization with wide-reaching connections to some of the most powerful and influential figures in the entire world, and this series reveals just how deep those ties run.

The Family is centered on religious principles, and one of its missions is to groom young men to take on powerful positions, with the ultimate goal of creating a country that is led by God-fearing fundamentalists. While the organization is conservative-leaning, and this does bleed into a lot of their principles, they have associations with powerful people and politicians on both sides of the aisle, with the only requirement for indoctrination being a strong belief in God, and preferably a Christian background.

The show was executive produced by Jeff Sharlet, who has written extensively on the organization, all in an effort to expose just how many pots this group has their hand in. It's a mind-bending documentary series that will shake you to your core, especially if you live in the United States, where the political ramifications of the group's efforts can be seen most clearly. After you watch it, you'll be left in a perpetual state of paranoia, lending suspicious eyes to every big-name person or organization that crosses your mind. The truth can be hard to face up to, but this series won't let you look away.