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5 true crime documentaries about cults on Hulu

By Natalie Zamora

Stolen Youth -- With unprecedented access, STOLEN YOUTH: INSIDE THE CULT AT SARAH LAWRENCE excerpts striking first-hand interviews with conman Larry Ray’s victims and incorporates personal audio tapes and video recordings to tell the story of his grim 10 year influence over a group of young people. The series follows the story from the cult’s origins in 2010 on the Sarah Lawrence campus until its recent demise, when the last members find their own paths to survival. (Courtesy of Hulu)
Stolen Youth -- With unprecedented access, STOLEN YOUTH: INSIDE THE CULT AT SARAH LAWRENCE excerpts striking first-hand interviews with conman Larry Ray’s victims and incorporates personal audio tapes and video recordings to tell the story of his grim 10 year influence over a group of young people. The series follows the story from the cult’s origins in 2010 on the Sarah Lawrence campus until its recent demise, when the last members find their own paths to survival. (Courtesy of Hulu) /
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Hulu is host to a wide variety of intriguing and educational documentaries, following topics like pop culture history, true crime, corporate controversies, and more. In the true crime category, we've gotten to learn about notorious serial killers, unsolved mysteries, and dangerous figures who have, sadly, ruined or taken lives. There are multiple documentaries and docuseries available to stream on Hulu that tackle cults, following the history of a specific group and those who managed to escape.

Hulu's shocking docuseries Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence made headlines when it premiered in 2023, but it's not the only title on the streamer focused on cults that's worth watching. Whether you want to educate yourself on parts of history or understand the inner workings of such a dangerous organization, here are five titles you should add to your watch list.

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

School is one of the last places you'd expect to be preyed on, but it's also true that cult leaders typically target young and impressionable people. This was the case for a group of students at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York. Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence is a three-episode telling of the disturbing sex cult led by an ex-con named Larry Ray. The docuseries was directed by Zachary Heinzerling (Cutie and the Boxer, McCartney 3, 2, 1) and features interviews with the victims and their loved ones.

In 2010, a group of friends attending Sarah Lawrence moved into a house together and became close to another student named Talia Ray. Talia would often talk highly about her father, Larry Ray, who was imprisoned and allegedly a war hero, among other accolades. Once Larry got out of jail, Talia convinced the housemates to allow him to stay with them until he got back on his feet. Larry immediately won the students over and became someone they could confide in, but unfortunately, he had ulterior motives.

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence is a chilling look at how far an abuse of power can go.

Stream Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence on Hulu

Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil 

It would be difficult to choose the most disturbing known cults in America, but the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would have to be up there. The Mormon sect, led by notorious President Warren Jeffs, practices polygamy and illegal acts such as child sex abuse, human trafficking, and child marriages. Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil explores Jeff's rise to power in the cult and how his crimes were eventually exposed. But even though Jeffs is behind bars — serving a life sentence — that doesn't mean his power has diminished.

The 2018 A&E documentary explores the state of the FLDS after Jeffs went to prison and how he's been able to still pull the strings of the cult through its many members. It's incredibly disheartening. Also included in the doc are stories from his victims who escaped the cult and want others to know about the damage Jeffs has done.

Stream Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil on Hulu

Daughters of the Cult

The 2024 docuseries Daughters of the Cult follows two women, Anna and Celia LeBaron, who were raised by a cult leader. Similarly to Warren Jeffs, Ervil LeBaron led a dangerous Mormon group stemming from excommunicated members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after it stopped practicing polygamy. LeBaron established the Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times in Salt Lake City, Utah, and ended up having one of his brothers killed and another one almost killed. The murders didn't stop there.

From the perspective of LeBaron's two daughters, the five-episode Hulu docuseries shows us how the cult impacted them, from LeBaron forcing them to help him in his murder schemes as well as being groomed. Through their retelling, we learn how far the cult's brainwashing and LeBaron's mind control went, as well as what happened to the group once he died. Similar to Jeffs, just because LeBaron was no longer here doesn't mean his followers abandoned him.

Daughters of the Cult provides the opportunity for the LeBaron siblings to take back the narrative and tell the shocking story their way. The docuseries was directed by Sara Mast.

Stream Daughters of the Cult on Hulu

Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre

There have been many documentaries covering Jim Jones and the notorious 1978 Jonestown Massacre, but A&E special Jonestown: The Women Behind The Massacre gives us a different look at the story. Focusing on four women who helped Jones plan the mass murders, the documentary digs deeper into the integral steps in the sinister scheme and how these women brought it to life behind the scenes. Decisions like how much cyanide to put into the Kool-Aid, for example, were not made by Jones alone.

Through interviews with experts, footage from the massacre, and even personal letters, we learn how Jones' wife Marceline and three others — Carolyn Layton, Maria Katsaris, and Annie Moore — played a part. Jonestown, also known as the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, was a settlement built in Guyana by Jones' cult. This is where over 900 people died after drinking cyanide poison, both voluntarily and involuntarily, on Nov. 18, 1978.

Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre was directed by Nicole Rittenmeyer (JFK: 3 Shots That Changed America).

Stream Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre on Hulu

Escaping Polygamy

The final title on the list is Escaping Polygamy, a Lifetime docuseries following three sisters who escaped the Latter Day Church of Christ, a polygamous cult also known as the Kingston Group or the Order. Andrea, Jessica, and Shanell now dedicate their time to helping others leave the cult, including family and friends and even members of other groups like the FLDS. With four seasons down, Escaping Polygamy gives viewers an inside look at the abuse these former members experienced and how they work through their trauma in their new lives.

The series also features accounts from other former members of the cult who share their experiences and the beliefs they were taught while part of the church.

Escaping Polygamy premiered in 2014. At the time of this writing, a fifth season has not been announced.

Stream Escaping Polygamy on Hulu

Check out Hulu's full lineup of documentaries and reality titles here.

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