There's nothing more unsettling than a cult. Welcome to WatchMojo, today we’re counting down our picks for the most terrifying fictional cults and cult-like movements ever depicted on TV.
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00:00I think we both know there's a bit more to it than that."
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most terrifying fictional
00:08cults and cult-like movements ever depicted on TV.
00:12While Charles Manson's chillingly real cult depicted in Helter Skelter isn't featured,
00:16it serves as a true example of how disturbing cults can be.
00:19It's not nice to snitch, shorty.
00:29Number 10.
00:30Meyerism cult, The Path.
00:32Hey, Eddie.
00:33Oh, hey.
00:34How are you feeling?
00:39Who Lose the Path may be far from perfect, but it is downright addictive.
00:43It focuses on the unsettling Meyerist movement.
00:46They try to sell it as an idyllic, wellness-focused society, but it's seriously messed up.
00:51Jessica Goldberg's 2016 drama follows Eddie Lane, a man feeling disconnected from his
00:56faith.
00:57The scary part is how normal this secret society seems at first glance, but as the show progresses,
01:10you uncover the rotten core behind its shiny facade, and see how members turn toxic in
01:15their quest for spirituality.
01:17The leaders are basically damaged control freaks using religion to trap others in their
01:21twisted world, and the fear of being ostracized keeps members stuck.
01:25Remember their bizarre rituals?
01:27They really crank up this movement's creep factor.
01:36Number 9.
01:37The Tricellaris Organization, Three-Body Problem.
01:50When you've got a group of humans teaming up with aliens to invade humanity, things
01:54can't get much more disturbing than that.
01:56That's exactly the goal of the bizarre group created by Yiwen Ji and Mike Evans.
02:01Netflix's mind-bending sci-fi series, based on Louis Hsien's award-winning novel, is a
02:05chilling reminder of how far someone can go when they lose faith in humanity.
02:19After the horrors she faced in China, it's quite understandable why a young Yiwen Ji
02:23became nihilistic.
02:25But believing alien invasion was the only solution to humanity's problems?
02:29That's truly out of this world.
02:30And she isn't alone.
02:31There's a whole crew of underground delusion zealots willing to go any length for their
02:35cause.
02:36We're talking about committing murders, targeting scientists, and sabotaging Earth's defenses.
02:49Number 8.
02:50The Tuttle Cult, True Detective.
03:02HBO's critically acclaimed Detective series has unearthed some spine-chilling discoveries,
03:07but the unnamed cult arguably takes the prize as the darkest of them all.
03:11Season one is hands-down one of the best shows to ever hit television, thanks to its gripping
03:15murder mystery centered around a sinister cult.
03:17The Tuttles and their fellow cult members are a powerful family with deep connections
03:22that manages to perpetrate their evil unnoticed for decades.
03:25You'll notice he never reported the Baton Rouge break-in, just the Shreveport house.
03:31Found those in the safe there.
03:34Paper stock's over 15 years old.
03:37These seemingly upstanding individuals, like Reverend Tuttle, use religion to mask their
03:41malevolence, worshiping figures like Carcosa and the Yellow King, which further lead to
03:46the abuse and death of countless victims by ritualistic sacrifice.
03:50But thanks to the relentless investigations of Marty and Rust, the atrocities of this
03:54generational cult are finally brought to light.
03:57Who can forget that eerie videotape and Carcosa labyrinth?
04:00Like the detectives, we still can't shake off the horrors.
04:10Number 7.
04:11Here is Truth, American Horror Story cult.
04:14It is with a heavy heart I report that Channel 7's own Bob Thompson is the latest victim
04:20in the string of unsolved murders that have rocked our community in recent weeks.
04:25Sometimes horror isn't about the supernatural.
04:28Sometimes it's a chilling reflection of the present day.
04:30And that's what makes Kai's cult in AHS Cult so unsettling.
04:34The seventh season of Ryan Murphy's horror anthology might have been a bit polarizing
04:38and a bit over-the-top, but it struck a chord with many viewers.
04:42Evan Peters absolutely nailed the role as Kai Anderson, embodying pure derangement.
04:47We can't close our eyes to the problem.
04:50We need to be strong and vigilant and ruthless!
04:55Kai started off as an internet troll before becoming something even worse, a small-time
04:59political cult leader hell-bent on unleashing chaos.
05:03This unhinged puppet master manipulates his followers' deepest fears to turn them into
05:08his personal attack squad.
05:09They spread terror through brutal murders and attacks.
05:12The creepiest part of the F.I.T. cult?
05:15Clowns.
05:16Kai's use of clowns took creepy to a whole new level.
05:19What do you want?
05:20I have money.
05:21That's not going to help you now.
05:23Number six, Vault 4, Fallout.
05:26Stay out of level 12, obviously.
05:28We'd prefer you not go there.
05:30Fallout has always been this weird, gritty trip into a screwed-up future.
05:34But has it taken a darker turn, with a cult located in what seems to be the most civilized
05:38vault?
05:39Amazon Prime's series is one phenomenal video game adaptation that follows Lucy's adventures
05:44through an unforgiving wasteland to find her father.
05:47She ends up in Vault 4, seemingly a safe haven compared to the others, but the folks here
05:51are definitely not like the others.
05:54Your ignorance cannot excuse your cruelty.
05:56You have infected our home with violence, and now you must pay the price.
06:02Turns out they worship the 200-plus-year-old Moldaver, believing she will bring them salvation.
06:07Their religious rituals in the Flame Mother's honor and appearance make them seem even more
06:11bizarre.
06:12Sure, they may not be harming anyone that we know of, but these mutated dwellers are
06:16still unsettling.
06:17We certainly can't blame Lucy for freaking out.
06:19Your entire culture is insane!
06:22I'm sure if we came to your home, we would say the same thing.
06:25Number five, The Followers, The Following.
06:28In the meantime, I hope that you will give me a chance to prove that I am not a horrible
06:36man.
06:37Kevin Williamson's The Following may be disturbingly dark, but it's also undeniably gripping.
06:42It's one show that sticks with you thanks to its in-depth look into a terrifying cult
06:46of serial killers.
06:47At its core is Ryan Hardy, who's determined to recapture serial killer Joe Carroll.
06:52You sure they're all ready for this?
06:54Are you kidding?
06:56We've all been waiting for exactly this.
06:58This creepy English lecturer is as obsessed with the works of Edgar Allan Poe as he is
07:02with brutally killing his victims.
07:04But it gets even more unhinged.
07:06After being sent to prison, the notorious serial killer manages to build a whole cult
07:10of psychopaths both inside and outside the prison walls.
07:14With his manipulative charms and resources, The Followers become his loyal pawn.
07:19They're willing to go to any lengths, including sacrificing their lives, to prove their devotion
07:23to him.
07:24I've always wanted to know you, to be a part of this, somewhere in my life, to mean something.
07:34Number 4.
07:35The Church of Gaborim, Marvel's Runaways.
07:38A barrier?
07:42What kind of charity meeting is this?
07:45Fleeing from one's parents after discovering their dark cult practices is definitely not
07:50your typical teenage escapade.
07:52But that's the wild situation our young heroes find themselves in in Hulu's Marvel's Runaways.
07:57Based on Marvel Comics of the same name, this show has been a blast for fans and newcomers
08:01alike.
08:02On the run, this young crew must do everything to stop their supervillain parents.
08:06What the hell was that?
08:11These villains, meanwhile, pretend to be upstanding citizens with their fancy Church of Gaborim.
08:16But guess what?
08:17The Church is secretly linked to a sinister cult-like organization known as The Pride
08:22that worships Jonah in exchange for generous donations.
08:25Being a member means doing some awful stuff like sacrificing innocent lives.
08:29But even members aren't safe.
08:31Cross Jonah, and you're, of course, eliminated.
08:34There are many difficult decisions ahead of us.
08:37If you question my leadership in any way, the consequences shall be severe.
08:42Number 3.
08:43Unnamed cannibalistic cult, Yellowjackets.
08:46A bunch of my friends died, and the rest of us starved and scavenged and prayed for 19
08:51months until they finally found us.
08:54And that's the end of the story.
08:56If you were stranded in the wilderness, starving, freezing, and with no hope of rescue, what
09:00would you do?
09:01It's a devastating scenario that no one wants to imagine facing.
09:05But for the New Jersey high school girls' soccer team in Showtime's hit series, this
09:08nightmare became a chilling reality after their plane crashed.
09:12Their response?
09:13Forming a terrorizing cult led by the Antler Queen, in which they gave in to their dark
09:17cravings and baser instincts.
09:19Are you saying what I think you're saying?
09:22You tell me, does a hunt that has no violence feed anyone?
09:26We're talking about hunting down their own friends like savages and other unspeakable
09:30hunger-satiating acts.
09:32Cult practices don't get any uglier than this.
09:34It's no surprise that even after they're rescued, the experience leaves them scarred for life.
09:39Being in a cult can be bad, but getting out and forgetting the trauma is even tougher.
09:43These people come out of the woodwork every few years on some anniversary or another,
09:46you know that.
09:47There's no reason to think this is any different.
09:50Number 2.
09:51The guilty remnant, The Leftovers.
09:53I'm assuming they've been following Megan for some time now.
09:56They usually target somebody and then...
09:58What do they want?
10:01That depends who you ask.
10:02In the aftermath of the unexplained departure of loved ones, some of those who are left
10:06behind seek reassurance through the most provocative actions.
10:09That's the world of The Leftovers.
10:11This binge-worthy existential drama is surely not easy to watch, especially with its dive
10:16into dark cults.
10:18The cult known as The Guilty Remnant intensifies the overall sense of unease and dread throughout
10:23the series.
10:24Dad!
10:25Go home.
10:26Now.
10:27Now!
10:28These troubled individuals in white are all about making everyone miserable.
10:31Initially, they seem like just troublemakers making a point, but quickly evolve into a
10:35vicious group.
10:37As grim reminders of the departure, this cult stops at nothing to make sure everyone is
10:41just as lost and scared as they are.
10:44They say they want to remind people of what happened.
10:47But what do they want?
10:49They want to recruit.
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11:06Number 1.
11:07The Neolucians and Proletheans, Orphan Black
11:10Yes, but Evie had no baseline.
11:14And Susan has no balls.
11:16So let's talk clones, shall we?
11:21Orphan Black isn't just about clones.
11:23It also delves into the scary side of science and cult-like organizations.
11:28Through its five-season run, this dark sci-fi series kept viewers on the edge with its wild
11:33ride through a world where science and conspiracy collide.
11:36The Neolucians' scientific movement and the Proletheans' religious group are at the heart
11:40of this conspiracy involving illegal clones, and their heroine Sarah must escape the clutches
11:46of these dark organizations after witnessing her doppelganger's death.
11:49It's not strange!
11:51It's not strange!
11:52It's not strange!
11:55Though the group's ideologies contrast each other, they're undeniably unnerving forces
12:00in their own right.
12:01The Neolucians believe in evolving humans through cloning, while their opposition, the
12:05radical Proletheans, see clones as abominations to be wiped off.
12:10Evil clones, murder, gene manipulation, clone worship — these organizations are as bizarre
12:16as they are vicious.
12:17You said the Proletheans did something to you.
12:20Something about married?
12:23What happened?
12:26Which cult portrayed in any movie or TV series gave you sleepless nights?
12:30Let us know in the comments.
12:31But then things just went a little... awry.
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