Cults The Best Movies About Cults  

Ranker Film
2.5k votes 545 voters 35.3k views 46 items

List Rules Movies about cults, controversial religions, and religious leaders.

Cult classics? No. These aren't cult films, they're the best films about cults. Scientology, the Illuminati and the Masons, some people might add Mormons – there's nothing like a good cult story. Plenty of films have stories about a cult: Fight Club, Eyes Wide Shut, Rosemary’s Baby, The Master, and Race with the Devil.
 
Many of the movies featured on this list are based on true events and take an honest look at what makes a cult, how mind control is a factor within cults, the historical events that have surrounded various cult tragedies, and controversial religious organizations and their secrets. Some films are purely fictional, while others are very realistic.
 
This list is made up of the best cult movies so vote up your favorites, vote down the ones you hate, or add one you love that isn't on the list. L. Ron Hubbard say you must do so, or face excommunication!

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Jonestown: The Life and Death ... is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Rebecca Moore, Janet Shular, Tim Carter Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, is a 2006 documentary film made by Firelight Media, produced and directed by Stanley Nelson. The documentary reveals new footage of the incidents ...more

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Rosemary's Baby is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Mia Farrow, Tony Curtis, John Cassavetes Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the bestselling 1967 novel of the same name by Ira Levin. The cast includes Mia ...more

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Children of the Corn is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Linda Hamilton, Peter Horton, R. G. Armstrong Children of the Corn is a 1984 supernatural horror film based upon the 1977 short story of the same name by Stephen King. Directed by Fritz Kiersch, the film stars Peter Horton and Linda ...more

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Eyes Wide Shut is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Stanley Kubrick Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 American erotic thriller film loosely based upon Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Dream Story. The film was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It was ...more

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The Wicker Man is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Edward Woodward The Wicker Man is a 1973 British mystery horror film directed by Robin Hardy and written by Anthony Shaffer. The film stars Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and ...more

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Fight Club is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Brad Pitt, Jared Leto, Helena Bonham Carter Fight Club is a 1999 film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher, and stars Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton ...more

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The Village is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Bryce Dallas Howard, Sigourney Weaver, Joaquin Phoenix The Village is a 2004 American psychological thriller film, written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt ...more

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Guyana Tragedy: The Story of J... is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Jlee Hill added James Earl Jones, Randy Quaid, LeVar Burton Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones, also called The Mad Messiah, is a 1980 television miniseries about the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones, and their 1978 mass suicide at Jonestown. Based on ...more

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The Virgin Suicides is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Jlee Hill added Kirsten Dunst, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American drama written and directed by Sofia Coppola, produced by her father Francis Ford Coppola, starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh ...more

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The Sacrament is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, A. J. Bowen The Sacrament is a 2013 horror thriller film written and directed by Ti West.

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The Invitation is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman The Invitation is a 2015 American horror-thriller film directed by Karyn Kusama. While attending a dinner party at his former home, a man (Logan Marshall-Green) thinks his ex-wife (Tammy ...more

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Martha Marcy May Marlene is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy Martha Marcy May Marlene is a 2011 American drama thriller film written and directed by Sean Durkin, and starring Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, and Hugh Dancy. The plot focuses on ...more

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Red State is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Rghramm added John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Anna Gunn Red State is a 2011 American independent action-adventure-thriller-horror film, written and directed by Kevin Smith, starring John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Michael Parks. For months, Smith ...more

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Indiana Jones and the Temple o... is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, Dan Aykroyd Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jones franchise and a prequel to the 1981 film ...more

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Jesus Camp is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Mike Papantonio, Lou Engle, Becky Fischer Jesus Camp is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing about a charismatic Christian summer camp, where children spend their summers being taught that they have ...more

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Children of the Corn is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Kandyse McClure, Isabelle Fuhrman, Billy Unger Children of the Corn is a 2009 made-for-television supernatural horror film directed, written and produced by Donald P. Borchers and based on the 1977 short story of the same name by Stephen ...more

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Hot Fuzz is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Cate Blanchett, Martin Freeman, Simon Pegg Hot Fuzz is a 2007 British action comedy parody film directed by Edgar Wright, written by Wright and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost. The three and the film's producer Nira Park had ...more

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The Master is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman The Master is a 2012 American drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. It tells the story of ...more

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End of Days is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robin Tunney, Renee Olstead End of Days is a 1999 American action fantasy horror thriller film directed by Peter Hyams starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne, Robin Tunney, Kevin Pollak, Rod Steiger, CCH Pounder, ...more

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The Wicker Man is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Nicolas Cage, James Franco, Leelee Sobieski The Wicker Man is a 2006 American horror thriller film written and directed by Neil LaBute and starring Nicolas Cage. The film primarily is a remake of the 1973 British cult classic The Wicker ...more

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The Babysitter is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell The Babysitter is a 2017 American teen horror-comedy film directed by McG. Cole (Judah Lewis) is madly in love with his babysitter Bee (Samara Weaving) until he witnesses the unthinkable.

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Suspiria is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Joan Bennett, Alida Valli, Udo Kier Suspiria is a 1977 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento, co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi, and co-produced by Claudio and Salvatore Argento. The film stars Jessica Harper as an ...more

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Guyana: Crime of the Century is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Jlee Hill added Yvonne De Carlo, Gene Barry, Joseph Cotten Guyana: Crime of the Century is a 1979 exploitation horror film written and directed by René Cardona Jr.. The film, which was shot in Mexico is based on the Jonestown Massacre. It stars a ...more

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The Magdalene Sisters is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Nora-Jane Noone, Anne-Marie Duff, Geraldine McEwan The Magdalene Sisters is a 2002 film written and directed by Peter Mullan, about 4 teenage girls who were sent to Magdalene Asylums, homes for women who were labeled as "fallen" by ...more

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The Source Family is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Father Yod The Source Family is a 2012 feature documentary film directed by Jodi Wille and Maria Demopoulos that recounts the story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13 and the Source Family. The Source Family was a ...more

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Ticket to Heaven is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Kim Cattrall, Saul Rubinek, Meg Foster Ticket to Heaven is a 1981 Canadian film about the recruiting of a man into a group portrayed to be a cult, and his life in the group until forcibly extracted by his family and friends. The film ...more

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Sound of My Voice is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Maeve Quinlan, Brit Marling, Constance Wu Sound of My Voice is a 2011 drama thriller film written by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij and directed by Zal Batmanglij.

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Race with the Devil is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit Race with the Devil is a 1975 occult thriller and action film starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit and Lara Parker. This was the second of three films Fonda and Oates would star in ...more

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Sons of Perdition is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Bruce Barlow, Deloy Bateman, Michelle Benward "In the polygamist community cultivated by the notorious (and now incarcerated) "prophet" Warren Jeffs, women are a commodity, children are reared to be ignorant, and free thought ...more

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The Endless is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Callie Hernandez The Endless is a 2017 American horror film directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more ...more

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Drive Angry is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, David Morse Drive Angry is a 2011 American supernatural action film starring Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard, and directed by Patrick Lussier. It was released on February 25, 2011. Shot in 3-D, the film was ...more

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The Wicker Tree is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Christopher Lee, Graham McTavish, Honeysuckle Weeks The Wicker Tree is a 2011 horror film written and directed by British filmmaker Robin Hardy. The film contains many direct parallels and allusions to the 1973 film The Wicker Man, which was also ...more

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Mother is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer mother! is an American psychological horror thriller film, written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting ...more

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The Wave is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Bruce Davison, Jamie Rose, John Putch The Wave is a short made-for-TV movie directed by Alex Grasshoff, based on Ron Jones' The Third Wave experiment. Though more prominently featured as an episode of the ABC Afterschool Special ...more

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Holy Smoke! is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Kate Winslet, Pam Grier, Harvey Keitel Holy Smoke! is a 1999 Australian drama film directed by Jane Campion, who co-wrote the screenplay with her sister Anna. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was shown at the New York ...more

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Faults is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lance Reddick, Beth Grant Faults is a 2014 drama film written and directed by Riley Stearns in his feature film debut. The film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, Beth Grant, Chris Ellis and Lance ...more

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Split Image is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
James Woods, Peter Fonda, Brian Dennehy Split Image is a 1982 film directed by Ted Kotcheff.

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Teen Lust is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Jesse Carere, Daryl Sabara, Annie Clark Teen Lust is a 2014 Canadian comedy horror film directed by Blaine Thurier. An awkward high school student strives to lose his virginity before his parents and their Satanic cult can sacrifice ...more

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Join Us is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Deborah Melz, Joaquin Sullivan, Raymund Melz

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Blinded by the Light is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Kristy McNichol, Jimmy McNichol, Grace Zabriskie Blinded by the Light is a 1980 television film directed by John A. Alonzo. The film is based upon a Robin F. Brancato novel.

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American Commune is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Rena Mundo Croshere, Nadine Mundo American Commune is 2013 documentary film written by Rena Mundo Croshere, and directed by Rena Mundo Croshere and Nadine Mundo.

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God Willing is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Nina Persson, Janne Carlsson, Georgi Staykov God Willing is a 2006 romantic drama film directed by Amir Chamdin and co-written with Martina Stöhr and Erik Egler.

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Frat House is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Frat House is a documentary film exploring the darker side of fraternity life. The film was directed by Todd Phillips and Andrew Gurland, and largely filmed at Allentown, Pennsylvania's ...more

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Marjoe is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Marjoe Gortner, Sarah Kernochan Marjoe is a 1972 American documentary film produced and directed by Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan about the life of evangelist Marjoe Gortner. It won the 1972 Academy Award for Best ...more

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Religulous is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Bill Maher, José Luis de Jesús Religulous is a 2008 American documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher and directed by Larry Charles. The title of the film is a portmanteau derived from the words religious ...more

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September Dawn is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Movies About Cults
Jon Voight, Terence Stamp, Dean Cain September Dawn is a 2007 Canadian-American Western drama film directed by Christopher Cain, telling a fictional love story against a controversial historical interpretation of the 1857 Mountain ...more