With their secretive ways, strange beliefs, and conspiracies, it’s no wonder that pop culture has a bit of a fascination with cults. In both fiction and the real world, these groups and their leaders are often the center of major scandals and even tragedies. If you’re looking for a new true crime story or an eerie, compelling fictional series, these TV shows about cults are for you.
In these shows, you can uncover the secret histories of some of the most infamous real-life cults, from famous groups you’ve probably heard of in history books to some of the most recent groups to hit the news, like NXIVM. Some of these series are led by people who experienced these group’s first hand, like Leah Remini’s series “Scientology and the Aftermath.” Or, if fiction is more your speed, there are shows like HBO’s “The Idol,” which creates its own fictional star-studded cult.
Sam Levinson, who created “The Idol” with The Weeknd (née Abel Tesfaye) opened up to W magazine in May 2023 about how the idea about a cult-centered show came to be. “Abel came to us with a pitch. He said something that I’ll always remember: ‘If I wanted to start a cult, I could,'” Levinson said. “What he meant is that his fans were so loyal and devoted that they would follow him anywhere.” That was the “germ” of the idea.
Keep reading for 22 TV series all about cults and the people affected by them.