Cults can be pretty fascinating and downright scary, and filmmakers love exploring their twisted worlds. From mind-bending thrillers to downright creepy horror movies, there are a bunch of films that show how scheming the cults can be – the power plays, the blind devotion, and the sinister consequences.
In this article, we’re diving into some of the best cult movies out there based on how much people love them, what critics say, and their overall cult status. So without further ado, here are our picks for the 10 best movies about cults:
Martha Marcy May Marlene
In Martha Marcy May Marlene, we follow Martha, who escapes a cult controlled by Patrick. Martha deals with the aftermath of cult trauma while seeking shelter with her sister, Lucy, and brother-in-law, Ted.
As the movie goes on, flashbacks reveal the cult’s evil ways, their unique living style, and Patrick’s magnetic influence. Cult members adopt new names, wiping out individuality. Strange rituals and Patrick’s misuse of power grow out of control.
Midsommar
In Midsommar, Dani goes to a Swedish festival with her boyfriend and friends. What she thought was a charming commune turns out to be creepy, with weird rituals and sacrifices to instigate a bizarre rebirth. With Siv as their mysterious leader, the cult tries to pass off strange practices, as harmony and tranquility.
If you think this is bad, it gets even worse. The festival gets crazier, mixing hallucinations, group living, and whatnot. But what does the cult really want? They want to create a forever existence together, breaking all the rules in their own way.
The Endless
In The Endless, two brothers get a strange tape, leading them back to their old cult in Camp Arcadia. No matter how stupid it sounds, the cult is stuck in a time loop controlled by a supernatural entity. To break free, they do odd rituals, hoping for freedom.
As time passes, the brothers discover the truth, facing alternate realities and versions of themselves in the process. The protagonists are fantastic; you root for them to make it out of the forest alive and back to their petty, everyday lives.
The Village
In The Village, a 19th-century town named Covington believes scary creatures in the woods keep them safe. The elders in charge of the village make strict rules to protect residents from the creatures. The creatures, though, are just costumes worn by the elders to control everyone from asking questions and going haywire.
If you’re trying to figure out their goal, they want to protect their people from the outside world’s harshness. In layman’s terms, the film is about exploring the fallout of a fake world and the reasons for creating the secluded community.
The Sacrament
In The Sacrament, a group makes a documentary about a secretive religious community or cult controlled by Father. The cult aims for an ideal society, but the filming crew discovers a dark truth beneath the surface.
Father’s manipulation and a twisted version of communal living lead to a tragedy, with mass suicide as their pent-ultimatum ritual. The Sacrament teaches us that blindly trusting cult leaders can be a bad idea. They spin tales to manipulate everyone around them, no matter the cost.
Faults
In Faults, a cult connoisseur faces a challenging task as he tries to break into the brains of a woman who was taken by the mysterious Faults cult. The aforementioned cults want to control and manipulate people, be it by their psychological tactics or by using their victims’ weaknesses against them.
They choose a run-down building for the processor, and where you can’t say what’s real and what’s not. The film’s clever ending definitely deserves some extra points. Talking about themes, it deals with human psychology, showing how a person copes with his guilt and trauma.
The Invitation
In The Invitation, we see Will and his paramour attending a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife Eden and her new spouse. At the dinner, the hosts reveal their connection to a self-help group that wants to move beyond human suffering.
As the dinner goes on, Alex becomes suspicious that the self-group or the cult is more than it meets the eye. The people of the cult manipulate people to make them believe that the only way to break free from their suffering and pain is by actually killing themselves.
The Wicker Man
In The Wicker Man, a sergeant investigates a girl’s disappearance on a remote island, only to find himself in the center of a cult. With Lord Summerisle as their founding father, the cult wants to aim for a good harvest through rituals.
Things turn interesting when they trick the sergeant into being a sacrifice in a May Day ceremony, burning him inside a giant wicker effigy. Watching The Wicker Man is like nothing you’ve ever seen before, and if you’re looking for a bizarre and equally terrifying film, go no further than The Wicker Man.
Rosemary’s Baby
Rosemary’s Baby isn’t just a movie; it set the standard for other films in the genre to follow, especially in terms of its iconic clothing choices. The film sees Rosemary Woodhouse pregnant and living in a spooky NYC apartment with her actor-husband.
Little do they know that their kind-looking neighbors, Minnie and Roman Castevet, run a cult of Satanists who want to make Rosemary give birth to the Antichrist. By doing this, the Castevet couple believes the world will usher in an era of darkness. Rosemary has no clue about it and unwittingly gets caught up in their plan and performs their dark rituals.
Helter Skelter
Helter Skelter portrays the true story of the Charles Manson cult, and we see Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi build a case against Manson and his followers. The cult’s motive, based on Manson’s twisted view of “Helter Skelter,” is to spark a race war.
Manson influences his followers into killing people, including the infamous killing of actress Sharon Tate. The film brings us face to face with the disturbing psychology of cult dynamics, Manson’s charismatic control, and the heinous acts committed under his leadership.
There we have it, our list of 10 best movies about cults! What do you think about our picks? Did one of your favourites make the list? Let us know in the comments below!