There has always been something fascinating about fanatical ‘true believers’, those people who live on the fringes of an acceptable society because of their extreme beliefs, and films about cults capitalize on this curiosity. Not to be confused with cult classics – films that gain a group of highly devoted fans and tend to get funnier over time – a cult film is a small subgenre of cinema (usually within the horror genre) that focuses on the often shadowy affairs of certain (usually religious) groups.
Religious scholar Megan Goodwin points out that the term “cult” can sometimes be derogatory, an insulting term for “a religion I don’t like.” as she says. So it may be helpful to follow Harvard researcher and psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton’s Definition of Cults— a group with a charismatic and obsessively adored leader, who uses coercion and persuasion as a kind of ‘thought reforming’ (or ‘brainwashing’) and engages in the sexual, emotional or economic exploitation of its members.
Updated October 2, 2022: Curious about extreme cults and fascinated by their potential to create truly horrific cinema? This article has been updated to help you choose your next favorite.
While fear can come from many places on the big screen, few things are more sinister than a fanatic, fundamentalist group of dangerously devout, cinematically portrayed as far back as the Satanic cults of 1934’s The black cat and the years 1943 The seventh victim. This has been seen on screen with great success recently, with the horror movies Saint Maud, the perfectionand Midsommar all capturing the specific terror of cults, and Netflix is extremely successful wild, wild land documenting their real-life goings-on.
It has even been announced that Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio will portray Jim Jones, the 1970s cult leader who was behind the Jonestown mass suicide that cost more than 900 lives. Until his film is made, there is a wide spectrum of films that capture the curiosity about these scary and mysterious groups. These are the best horror movies about cults.
12/12 Apostle (2018)
After a drifter’s desperate and dangerous mission to rescue his kidnapped sister from a nefarious cult on a remote island in Wales, Apostle Dan Stevens plays Thomas Richardson, a reckless young man who infiltrates the sinister group under the guise of a convert. Thomas soon realizes he is up to his neck when the cult’s truly terrifying intentions and roots are revealed, forcing him to fight the island’s leader and his devoted and deranged minions.
Apostle was praised for its chilling atmosphere, impressive performances and intriguing inclusion of pagan folklore, with director Gareth Evans (The robbery, destruction) earned praise for its slow pace and beautifully dark cinematography.
11/12 The Ritual (2017)
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Based on the 2011 novel by Adam Nevill and certainly inspired by The Blair Witch Project, The ritual stars Rafe Spall (The big short, hot fuzz} as part of a group of hikers who encounter a cult in the forest that wants to summon an ancient demon. The film was widely praised for its performances and use of Scandinavian settings, but what made? The ritual particularly striking is the remarkable tone shift of the ending, once the demon is summoned and the film transforms from an exceptional slow burn into a horrifying monster movie.
10/12 The Void (2016)
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In the indie horror hit The emptyness, a group of people are trapped in an isolated hospital by a freaky cult that knows there is a gateway to another dimension in the basement. Directors Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski throw all kinds of Lovecraft-inspired tentacle madness at audiences, and critics compared the film to classic horror films from the 80s for good reason. The cult members in the film are silent and dress entirely in white robes with black triangles covering their faces, creating an effectively chilly atmosphere in this violent, startling gem.
9/12 F/H/S/2 (2013)
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This 2013 sequel of F/H/S is presented as an anthology of short films and is linked to the concept of found footage. Fans of the franchise have agreed that the most shocking entry in the entire franchise is “Safe Haven” from F/H/S/2, who follows a news crew as they investigate an Indonesian cult. As they delve deeper into the group’s activities, it becomes clear that the cult is preparing for a “cash reckoning,” which will involve mass suicide, zombies, and, ultimately, a monstrous supernatural entity.
It’s intense and overwhelming, and the “reckoning” certainly reflects the horrific real-life events in Jonestown and the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide – highlighting why cult movies are still being made today.
8/12 List of Deaths (2011)
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Acclaimed British director Ben Wheatley’s intense 2011 classic list of deaths, arguably his best film to date. The seamless tonal shifts from family drama to hitman thriller and ultimately psychological horror are expertly handled by Wheatley, and the scene where our “heroes” are chased by dozens of shrieking naked cult members is one of the most memorably creepy of the decade. Wheatley’s twisted narrative technique shows up effectively in his later films, most notably his most recent pandemic mind-melter in the earthbut is best used here.
7/12 The Invitation (2015)
The invitation (a 2015 film not to be confused with Jessica M. Thompson’s recent film) doesn’t reveal exactly what’s going on deep into its claustrophobic horror. What begins as an uneasy ensemble drama about a group of estranged friends who reconnect over dinner turns into a thrilling and then terrifying mystery as they wonder why they got together in the first place. With its satirical yet deadly portrayal of life in Los Angeles, director Karyn Kusama’s popular indie film bounces bitingly between dark laughter and excruciating tension, with a crazy twist and the final image that haunts viewers long after the film’s end.
6/12 Mandy (2018)
The psychological and hallucinatory Nicolas Cage stunner Mandy was a surprise hit with audiences and critics alike, following in the footsteps of a man named Red who lived in a mountain town with his girlfriend Mandy. After a notorious hippie sect kidnaps her, Red embarks on a captivating and ruthless revenge escapade.
Director Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the black rainbow) is a master of dark, beautiful cinematography and hyper-stylized genre work, elevating this violent film with his use of lighting, heavy music and bold color schemes. Cage’s surprisingly awesome yet simple twist seals the deal, making this a ‘cult’ classic in every way.
5/12 Hereditary (2018)
While the sequel of Ari Aster Midsommar explains his intentions from the start, Heir apparent holds back the reveal of his cult for much of the film. What begins as a bleak family drama eventually explodes into a frenzied supernatural horror film as the central family (led by parents played by the never-better Toni Collette and a generous Gabriel Byne) is haunted by a mysterious presence after the death of their secretive grandmother. The critically acclaimed psychological horror film made more than $80 million on a $10 million budget, eventually becoming A24’s highest-grossing film in the world.
4/12 The Endless (2017)
Written, directed, produced and starred by the increasingly popular (and future members of the Marvel crew) Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the infinite is one of the weirdest movies about cults, and that’s saying something. The indie authors play two brothers who return to the cult they grew up in after years of deprogramming, only to discover that the cult’s obsession with time and mysterious, spectral powers has some legitimacy.
Brilliant meta (with an incredible scene leading the actor-directors to the set of their first film, the excellent Solution), artistically playful and genuinely endearing, the film is a bizarre but beautiful meditation on the sense of belonging that cults so deviously exploit.
3/12 The Wicker Man (1973)
The influence of this subgenre masterpiece can still be felt today as it is hard to discuss a cult film without mentioning The Wicker Man. This British folk horror film follows a police sergeant who arrives on a small Scottish island to investigate a report of a missing child.
A conservative Christian, the police officer observes the residents’ frivolous sexual displays and strange pagan rituals, and the more he learns about the islanders’ strange practices, the closer he gets to tracking down the missing child. With its religious and feminist motifs and groundbreaking genre-bending, it’s no surprise that The Wicker Man has been rated by cinematic to be “the Citizen Kane of horror movies”.
2/12 Midsommar (2019)
You can’t say that acclaimed director Ari Aster doesn’t like a creepy cult when it comes to storytelling, and it’s just a nerve-wracking thrill ride to watch the story unfold and get to a point of cult conversion. Midsommar follows a group of American students who visit the legendary Swedish midsummer festival in Scandinavia. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly turns into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult. Using a surprisingly bright and colorful palette that refers to The Wicker ManAster’s film is the best cinematic use of cults in recent memory.
1/12 Rosemary Baby (1968)
Roman Polanski’s masterpiece set the tone for many cult horror films, most notably the way it efficiently holds back the cult’s disclosure and instead uses a steady build-up of mystery and paranoia, shifting from drama to horror along the way. In rosemary babyMia Farrow beautifully plays a pregnant woman who moves into a new apartment with her struggling actor husband (played charmingly by the great American director John Cassavettes) with overly friendly neighbors.
It turns out that people in Rosemary’s life are plotting to bring the budding mother into a satanic world in preparation for the Antichrist. Farrow’s performance and Polanski’s masterful directing helped make the film a huge success and instant classic, and the greatest cult film of all time.