If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.

When Netflix’s docu-series Wild Wild Country, we fell down the rabbit hole of the Rajneesh movement. Then, once you’ve made it through the entire six-part series, it’s impossible to stave off your curiosity about other cults. What is it that makes certain people susceptible to such polarizing pedagogy? What leads a person to the “calling” of a cult leader? And, most pressingly, can binge-watching documentaries about real-life cults offer any insight into the bizarre worlds inhabited by such people?

The lives of members of infamous cults, like the one chronicled in Wild Wild Country, make compelling fodder for limited television series and TV movies. So, you be the judge. Thanks to streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, it’s easier than ever to take a psychedelic trip into the belief systems of cult leaders and their followers.

We’ve gleaned quite a few mind-blowing examples to get you started. But be forewarned, the following documentaries may leave you with more questions than answers.