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Chances are, you've seen a movie, documentary, or TV show about a cult in the past year. From art house horror films to viral documentaries, cults are more or less inescapable in pop culture.
A brief overview of the highlight reel: In March 2018, Wild Wild Country captivated the entire Internet when all six episodes dropped on Netflix. There are so many movies about Charles Manson and his Family coming out that it's practically its own sub-genre. And this weekend, people will be talking about Ari Aster's movie Midsommar, which takes us into the shocking rituals of an isolated religious community (read: cult) in Sweden.
Cults are having a pop culture moment — but they're no punch line. As countless stories, from the recent headlines about NXIVM cult to the Jonestown massacre in 1978, show so well, these extremist religious groups are potentially dangerous. We've rounded up the best shows and movies currently streaming on Netflix that feed into the fascination, but also offer educational insights.
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