30+ creepy movies about cults that will make you lose sleep
If you plan on spending a night in a while binge-watching a captivating movie with some popcorn, one of the best options is a classic horror movie about cults. Not sure where to start looking for the perfect choice? Here are 30+ creepy movies about cults that will keep you entertained and engaged.
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Horror movies about cults have become major classics, even if the cinema initially flops at the box office. People are drawn to the taboo and shock factor of the genre, making them well-loved long after their release.
So, which are the best ones to choose from? The most exciting picks are the ones that are based on religious views or based on real-life events, such as the devastating Jonestown massacre and the controversial beliefs of Scientology.
What are the most popular cult movies on Netflix?
If you are looking for movies about religious cults, Netflix is now of the best places to look. Some of the most popular ones include Apostle, Incantation, and The Perfection, but there are various others you can find on other streaming platforms like Showmax and HBO.
Here are our top films about cults that you should watch, in no specific order:
31. The Devils (1971)
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The film, based in 17th-century France, is centred around Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun against the corrupt actions of Cardinal Richelieu, which is thrown a curveball from a repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.
30. Apostle (2018)
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Apostle is set in 1905 and focuses on a drifter who learns that his sister has been kidnapped and sets out on a dangerous mission to find her and bring her home. His search leads him to an isolated island with an unpredictable, extreme, disturbing cult.
29. Hereditary (2018)
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Annie and the rest of her family are grief-stricken after her mother, the family's matriarch, passes away. Strange occurrences plague the family not long after, and dark family secrets come to light.
28. The Void (2016)
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The Void sees ominous and cloaked figures trap patients, staff and an unsuspecting police officer inside a hospital with dire consequences. The hospital is revealed to be a gateway to hell.
27. Annabelle (2014)
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John and Mia Form, the movie's protagonists, are targeted and harassed by a satanic cult that uses an old rag doll as the main driving force behind the attack. The Form family experiences a slew of paranormal events that escalate in danger.
26. Red State (2011)
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Three teenagers arrange a meeting with a woman in the middle of America but soon become trapped in a fundamentalist Church led by an extreme fundamentalist preacher, Cooper. Chaos ensues soon after.
25. Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
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After living with a cult for a couple of years, Martha manages to escape and calls her estranged sister, Lucy, for help. Once living with her sister and her family, she struggles to differentiate and make sense between troubling dreams and reality.
24. Silent Hill (2006)
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Based on a video game of the same name, Rose and her daughter, Sharon, go on a trip to Silent Hill. While en route, they get into an accident, and Rose loses consciousness. Once she wakes up, she realises Sharon is missing.
23. To The Devil A Daughter (1976)
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A now-disgraced priest makes a satanic group disguised as a church for those on the outside. He manages to convince a man to give over his daughter's soul to become the devil's representative on Earth.
22. Race With the Devil (1975)
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Two friends and their wives head to rural Texas to take part in an off-road motocross and accidentally stumble across a satanic sacrifice unfolding, being caught in the process. They quickly flee and are chased by the group members in a fight for their lives.
21. The Ninth Gate (1999)
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A rare book dealer named Dean Corso gets hired to find the last two copies of a text that holds the key to summoning the devil. He subsequently finds himself at the heart of paranormal events.
20. The Village (2004)
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A remote village exists in continual fear for their lives by an apparent unknown entity that inhibits the woods around the city. When a community member is injured, a young blind girl sets out into the feared woods for help.
19. Children of God: Lost and Found (2007)
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Children of God: Lost and Found is a first-hand account of a former member of the controversial group and their past experiences. It follows Noah Thomson and his previous life under the Children of God, examining the lives of others who also left.
18. Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
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This documentary centres around the 1993 showdown between the FBI and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. It presents an alternative theory about the tragedy that saw the death of 70 people on the compound and whether it could have been prevented.
17. My Scientology (2015)
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My Scientology is a documentary by iconic filmmaker Louis Theroux. After being denied admittance into the Church of Scientology's headquarters, he sets up an entertaining and sly way of revealing the mysterious organisation's most profound secrets.
16. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
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Rosemary and her husband, Guy, move into their dream apartment, but soon things go awry. She begins to hear and dream strange things throughout the apartment and grows increasingly concerned about her neighbour and her possible sinister plans for her baby.
15. The Wicker Man (1973)
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A conservative Christian policeman goes to a small Scottish island village searching for a missing girl, but the Pagan locals claim she never existed. While there, he observes the locals' strange rituals and activities.
14. The Perfection (2019)
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The Perfection focuses on a struggling and troubled musical prodigy, Charlotte, who leaves and returns to her prestigious music school only to find a new star pupil, Lizzie, who has taken her spot. The two embark on a sinister downward spiral.
13. The Lodge (2019)
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Aidan and Mia have their lives turned upside down when their mother commits suicide, and six months later, their father takes them on a family vacation to his girlfriend's house. Once there, things began taking a dark turn.
12. The Devil’s Rain (1975)
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The Devil’s Rain is about betrayal and revenge. A satanist group leader is burned alive by a church and then returns for revenge. He hunts down and enslaves all his old congregation's descendants through blood contracts when the descendants sold their souls to the devil.
11. Suspiria (1977)
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Once American ballet dancer Suzy Bannion arrives in Freiberg, Germany, to attend the prestigious Tanz Academy, she realises something is amiss with the school. A shocking murder becomes the catalyst for the dark turn of events.
10. The Invitation (2015)
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Will and his new girlfriend are invited to dinner by his ex-wife Eden and her husband, David. Will feels there is more to the night than what Eden is letting on, and soon he is proven correct once things start spiralling out of control.
9. Children of the Corn (1984)
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Children of the Corn is a classic tale about small-town living and the darkness which may lurk beneath the isolation. An unassuming couple comes across a small American town where the local children have murdered the community's adults in a strange ritualistic practice
8. Ticket to Heaven (1981)
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A dangerous religious group seduces a young man named David through extreme tactics like starvation, exhaustion, and brainwashing to create money-hustling members to serve the leader. His loved ones form a plan to get him back and reprogram him back to his former self.
7. The Believers (1987)
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A freshly widowed psychiatrist, Cal Jamison, moves back to New York City with his son in hopes of starting over after his wife dies a tragic accidental death. He soon comes across a dangerous religious group that takes a keen interest in his son.
6. Martyrs (2008)
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Two young women embark on a deadly quest for revenge after experiencing abuse as children. While taking on their abusers, they find themselves thrown down a dark pit of depravity.
5. The Ritual (2017)
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Four friends go on a trip to the Swedish wilderness in hopes of bonding and repairing their strained relationships. Once there, they realise they are not alone, and a dark force lurks within the forest.
4. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
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Considered a horror with a humourous angle, five friends stay in a quaint cabin in the woods and unwillingly summon a family of bloodthirsty zombies. They accidentally become involved in a ritual of human sacrifice to please cruel gods.
3. Incantation (2022)
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Li Ronan is cursed after breaking a religious taboo a couple of years ago and lives in a constant state of fear. Her biggest fears come to life when her daughter falls ill without any explanation, and she has to go to great lengths to protect her from the curse.
2. All the Colors of the Dark (1972)
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A woman experiencing terrifying nightmares decides to join in with satanic rituals out of desperation that someone is trying to kill her. However, the evil ceremony adds to the escalating fear she has.
1. Midsommar (2019)
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Midsommar is based around Dani, a young woman who is left with major psychological trauma after her sister commits a murder-suicide on herself and her parents. It puts strain on her relationship with her partner Christian. However, when their friend group visits their one friend's ancestral commune to mend their relationship, they find their lives altered forever.
Any of these creepy movies about cults will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you engaged throughout.
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