People Magazine Investigates: Cults

People Magazine explores shocking stories of ordinary people who, lured by promises of eternal life, get caught up in a terrifying web of abuse, deception, and manipulation. Explore the deeply disturbing world of cults through the eyes of survivors who managed to escape.

The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness

The Son of Sam case grew into a lifelong obsession for journalist Maury Terry, who became convinced that the murders were linked to a Satanic cult.

Aquarius

In the late 1960s, a Los Angeles police sergeant with a complicated personal life starts tracking a small-time criminal and budding cult leader seeking out vulnerable women to join his “cause.” The name of that man is Charles Manson.

Darker Passages

A follow-up series to the popular Dark Passages program - continuing the exploration of lesser-known supernatural events, unsolved mysteries, cults, and urban legends.

Born in Synanon

One woman's journey to discover the truth about Synanon, the experimental community that turned into a full-blown cult.

Millennium

A retired FBI serial-profiler joins the mysterious Millennium Group, a team of underground ex-law enforcement experts dedicated to fighting against the ever-growing forces of evil and darkness in the world.

The Synanon Fix: Did the Cure Become a Cult?

Explore the rise and fall of the Synanon organization — through the eyes of the members who lived it — from its early days as a groundbreaking drug rehabilitation program to its later descent into what many consider a cult.

Hometown

A mystery evil thriller which finds the truth of a recording tape containing mysterious serial killings and unidentified sounds in a small city.

Finding Yeezus

FINDING YEEZUS is a six-part investigative comedy web-series starring comedians and pop-culture detectives Cameron James and Alexei Toliopoulos. The pair embark on an action-packed investigation to find out who made ‘Kanye Quest 3030’ – an infamous RPG game that went viral in 2013 after a hidden level was uncovered with potential links to the cult ‘ascensionism'.

Daughters of the Cult

A deep-dive into the history of a splinter group of Mormon fundamentalist cult members who perpetrate a deadly wave of violence and abuse for decades in the name of their fanatical prophet, Ervil LeBaron.

The Witnesses

The two-night investigative special follows the stories of four former Jehovah’s Witnesses, as they recount details of the sexual abuse they endured during their time within the organization.

Secte, mode d'emploi

Children of the Cult

Explores the world's most notorious and prolific cults Children of God, through the stories of three British women who escaped its clutches.

The Amazing Grace of Σ

Muqi, a young pop star becomes more and more arrogant, especially with his manager Nagatsuki, a long-time friend who suddenly commits suicide. Muqi finds himself crushed by sadness and guilt. At the funeral, he meets Master Bensheng, guru of a cult his friend belonged to. If at first, he finds comfort within his place, cracks may soon appear in the caring appearances of the cult members.

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

A group of bright Sarah Lawrence College students fall under the dark influence of a friend's father, Larry Ray. With unprecedented access to the survivors who lived with Ray, the series follows the cult from its origins through its still-unfolding aftermath.

Devil in Ohio

Determined to protect a young patient who escaped a mysterious cult, a psychiatrist takes the girl in, putting her own family — and life — in danger.

How I Escaped My Cult

Go inside insidious modern-day cults through the unique lens of members who endured unspeakable trauma and the shocking investigations into these oppressive groups. With detailed, firsthand accounts from former cult members, their loved ones, and the investigators who helped bring these tormentors to justice.

The Deleted

When escapees from a mysterious cult start disappearing, the survivors are driven to find each other for protection. Damaged by their dark pasts and hunted by the cult leaders who followed them to Los Angeles, they'll do anything to be free.

Riverdale

Set in the present, the series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica and their friends, exploring the surreality of small-town life, the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade.

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin

Explore how the late Gwen Shamblin Lara, who founded the controversial Remnant Fellowship Church and created the Christian weight loss program The Weigh Down Workshop, rose to fame as a diet guru and church leader.

Trust Me: The False Prophet

In this true-crime documentary, a cult expert and filmmaker infiltrate a polygamist sect to expose a self-proclaimed prophet and bring him to justice.

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

A group of bright Sarah Lawrence College students fall under the dark influence of a friend's father, Larry Ray. With unprecedented access to the survivors who lived with Ray, the series follows the cult from its origins through its still-unfolding aftermath.

Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God

Chronicles the life and death of Amy Carlson, also known as Mother God, a self-proclaimed spiritual savior who built a cult through her online manifestos and live-streaming sessions. As Amy's health declined, her followers believed her death would lead to her evacuation by UFO and salvation for humanity. Told through the eyes of Amy's devotees and constructed from the cult's archival footage, the three-part docuseries captures the perils of internet proselytizing and a conspiracy-driven faith.

Waco: American Apocalypse

This docuseries includes never-before-seen material from the infamous 51-day standoff between federal agents and a heavily armed religious group in 1993.

Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes

Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer confesses to his gruesome crimes in unguarded interviews, offering an unsettling view into a disturbed mind.

Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children

This docuseries explores the period between 1979 and 1981 when at least 30 African-American children and young adults disappeared or were murdered in Atlanta, Georgia.

History's Greatest Mysteries

Investigates a wide range of historically compelling topics and the mysteries surrounding each including the Titanic, D.B. Cooper, Roswell, John Wilkes Booth, and more. Fresh, new evidence and perspectives will be showcased, such as never-before-released documents, personal diaries and DNA evidence.

The Yogurt Shop Murders

In 1991, four teenage girls were brutally murdered at a frozen yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. What happened that night forever shook the Austin community and continues to mystify the police and haunt the families left in the wake of unthinkable loss.

How to Become a Cult Leader

Look inside the cult leader's playbook for achieving unconditional love, endless devotion and the power to control people's minds, bodies, and souls. Disguised as a guidebook for capturing a devoted cult following, this docuseries takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the rise of six famed flock leaders.

Sean Combs: The Reckoning

A revealing look at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' journey from music mogul to high-profile sexual offender, featuring footage and insider accounts that expose both his groundbreaking success with Bad Boy Entertainment and the troubling shadows behind his empire.

World War II with Tom Hanks

Explores WWII from Germany's invasion of Poland through the atomic age, examining pivotal battles, wartime leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt, and the human cost of total war.

Doctor Who Confidential

Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons.

Tiger King

A zoo owner spirals out of control amid a cast of eccentric characters in this true murder-for-hire story from the underworld of big cat breeding.

Mysteries at the Museum

Don Wildman unearths relics from the world's greatest institutions to reveal secrets from the past. He examines each artifact to illuminate history's most incredible triumphs, sensational crimes and bizarre encounters.

Cursed Films

A documentary series exploring the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood’s notoriously “cursed” horror film productions. From plane accidents and bombings during the making of The Omen, to the rumored use of real human skeletons on the set of Poltergeist, these stories are legendary amongst film fans and filmmakers alike. But where does the truth lie?

History 101

Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.

Wild Wild Country

When a controversial cult leader builds a utopian city in the Oregon desert, conflict with the locals escalates into a national scandal.

I AM A KILLER

Death row inmates convicted of capital murder give a firsthand account of their crimes in this documentary series.

Worst Neighbor Ever

This intense documentary series details true stories of neighbors gone bad, from heinous fraud schemes to senseless acts of violent retribution.

The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness

The Son of Sam case grew into a lifelong obsession for journalist Maury Terry, who became convinced that the murders were linked to a Satanic cult.