Children of The Cult review: Cult documentary charts abuse

Children of The Cult | Dir Maroesja Perizonius & Alice McShane | ★★★★☆ 

Documentaries about cults have become sensationalist streaming fodder in recent years, but Children of The Cult strips away the headlines and brings you face to face with victims and their stories. It’s an investigation into the Rajneesh Movement, a cult that had communes in over 30 countries in the 1970s and 80s. It became the subject of the Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country, but this film gives a voice to the children who lived and suffered horrendous abuse.

From a filmmaking perspective, it’s a rather straightforward mix of talking head interviews and archive footage. What gives the film it’s power is an unflinching stance that shows you the grief etched in the faces of the now adult survivors, detailing acts of sexual and mental abuse that are hard to hear. You come away with profound respect for the victims speaking their truth, as well as frustration that at the time nobody cares to listen.

There are interesting perspectives on the power of personality led cults, as one survivor questions whether her parents were to blame for bringing her into that environment, given that they were brainwashed. They also speak to journalists from the time who tried to expose the activities of the movement, which at its peak absorbed entire villages. Their stories of being ignored speak volumes about how these crimes were able to flourish without any consequences. 

Perhaps the most distressing part of Children of The Cult is that the Rajneesh Movement exists today, albeit on a smaller scale than the period covered. Hopefully, the brave testament of those interviewed in this moving film will ensure there are no more stories like this in the future. 

• Children of The Cult is in cinemas from 4th October