Brit Marling in Sound of My Voice

12 Good Thriller Films About Dangerous Cults

Cults are equally fascinating and terrifying for many individuals, so it’s no marvel they’re one of the crucial explored phenomena in our media. But what are a few of the greatest? That’s what one movie fan searching for motion pictures about cults needs to know. Their fellow movie followers on the discussion board the place they ask are very happy to level them towards a few of the greatest motion pictures about cults. 

1. Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

martha-marcy-may-marlene

Image Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Martha Marcy May Marlene stars a pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe Elizabeth Olsen as a younger girl who has escaped a cult however is extraordinarily paranoid about them discovering her and forcing her to return. The movie reveals us each her time after escaping, when she makes an attempt to reintegrate into regular life at her older sister’s home, and the way she first turned concerned within the cult earlier than realizing it wasn’t a spot she needed to remain. 

2. Faults (2014)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Beth Grant Faults

Image Credit: Screen Media Films

Multiple film lovers advocate Faults as one of many extra underappreciated movies about cults that deserves extra consideration. The movie facilities on a cult skilled who’s recruited by the determined mother and father of a younger girl who has turn out to be concerned with a cult, however issues aren’t so simple as they seem. 

3. Children of the Corn (1984)

children of the corn

Courtesy of New World Pictures

One of the quintessential Stephen King film diversifications of the Eighties, Children of the Corn, tells the story of a city the place a bunch of kids have fashioned a cult. Their cult is dedicated to killing all adults who ever set foot of their city, and a younger couple simply stopped in whereas passing by way of.  

4. Split Image (1982)

Split Image 1982

Image Credit: Orion Pictures

Split Image tells the story of a rich school athlete with a terrific life who turns into concerned in a cult and his mother and father’ determined makes an attempt to free him from that cult. Without spoiling an excessive amount of, I’ll say there’s at the very least one kidnapping within the movie by which the abductors consider they’re doing what’s greatest for the younger man. 

5. Ticket to Heaven (1981)

Ticket to Heaven 1981

Image Credit: United Artists

Ticket to Heaven is one other movie a couple of younger man drawn right into a cult earlier than his mother and father try to get him out. But in contrast to Split Image, the movie relies on a real story and takes time to element the psychological breakdown of the youth by the cult. It’s a troubling however fascinating movie. 

6. Sound of My Voice (2011)

Brit Marling in Sound of My Voice

Image Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Sound of My Voice facilities on a documentarian couple engaged on a movie a couple of cult, however to make their movie, they should embed themselves throughout the cult. That setup is sufficient to make for an thrilling film, however issues get much more fascinating when the cult chief claims to be from the longer term. 

7. The Master (2012)

the-master-joaquin-phoenix

Image Credit: The Weinstein Company

Inspired by L. Ron Hubbard and the start of Scientology, Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master explores the connection between a World War II veteran and the founding father of a brand new spiritual motion known as “The Cause.” The film takes a number of twists and turns, however what makes it so watchable are the unbelievable performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman because the veteran and spiritual chief. 

8. The Invitation (2015)

Logan Marshall Green in The Invitation 2015

Image Credit: Drafthouse Films

Going to a cocktail party on the residence of your ex-wife and the mom of your deceased youngster is anxiety-inducing as it’s. But when she, her new boyfriend, and their very imposing pal inform you a couple of new group they’ve joined that they need you to affix, you’ve discovered your self in The Invitation.

The small-scale thriller from director Karyn Kusama makes probably the most of its single location, wringing each ounce of pressure from the house within the Hollywood Hills the place the banquet takes place. 

9. Society (1989)

Society 1989

Image Credit: Wild Street Pictures

Few motion pictures can declare to be cult, physique horror, comedies, however Society seamlessly weaves collectively disparate tones to ship one thing splendidly distinctive. The movie follows a younger man who begins to suspect that he’s not the identical as his rich household, not simply that he’s totally different from them as an individual, however that they won’t be folks.

As he investigates, he discovers a complete world of not-quite-human beings who belong to the higher courses, and the movie climaxes in one among their weird rituals. 

10. Under the Silver Lake (2019)

Under the Silver Lake 1

Photo Credit: A24

A warning that Under the Silver Lake doesn’t provide any agency solutions to its protagonist or viewers, however it’s nonetheless one of the crucial fascinating and hilarious explorations of conspiracy theories and cults in fashionable movie.

The film follows unemployed Sam (Andrew Garfield) as he investigates the disappearance of his lovely neighbor, solely to find that she was concerned with a wierd and highly effective group. But he can’t fairly work out what that group is or needs. 

11. The Endless (2017)

(*12*)

Photo Credit: Well Go USA Entertainment.

Writing/Direction duo Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson have made a few of the most fascinating small-scale science fiction movies of the twenty first century, and The Endless is their greatest. It additionally occurs to be a couple of cult, one which brothers Aaron and Justin (the filmmakers play the characters with their names) left years in the past.

When the brothers obtain a videotape from the cult, they return to analyze what the members imply by “ascension.” But issues take a mind-bending flip when the brothers uncover that point doesn’t work usually across the cult. 

12. Lord of Illusions (1995)

Lord of Illusions 1995

Image Credit: United Artists

Written and directed by horror legend Clive Barker, Lord of Illusions facilities on occult detective Harry D’Amour (Scott Bakula) as he turns into entangled in a cult’s plan to resurrect their lifeless chief. It’s a wild journey of a film that takes stage magic critically (an illusionist is a central determine) and is in contrast to the rest, on this checklist or in any other case. 

This thread impressed this submit. 

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Kyle Logan is a movie and tv critic and normal popular culture author who has written for Alternative Press, Cultured Vultures, Film Stories, Looper, and extra. Kyle is especially curious about horror and animation, in addition to style movies written and directed by queer folks and ladies. Along with writing, Kyle organizes a Queer Film Challenge on Letterboxd.

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