Religious trauma resources

Documentaries

Stories have power and documentaries can offer a window into how belief systems, group dynamics, and power structures shape people’s lives. The films below explore themes of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, coercive control, moral injury, and recovery after leaving high-demand groups. Some highlight the psychology of manipulation and groupthink; others center on resilience, healing, and reclaiming personal identity.

This list is organized into categories to help you find what resonates most, whether you are curious about cult dynamics, faith deconstruction, political extremism, or systemic abuse within institutions. Each title offers a different lens into how belief, fear, and belonging can intersect, and how people find freedom on the other side.

⚠️ Content Note: Many of these documentaries include sensitive material such as abuse, manipulation, coercion, and trauma. They can be validating and eye-opening, but also emotionally intense or triggering. Please take care while watching. Step away if you feel overwhelmed, and consider processing what comes up with a trusted friend, therapist, or support network.

  • These documentaries center on coercive control, indoctrination, and life inside/outside high-control groups.

    • Cults & Extreme Belief (Hulu & Amazon Prime)

    • Holy Hell (Amazon Prime)

    • How to Become a Cult Leader (Netflix)

    • Strong City Cult (YouTube)

    • The Vow (HBO)

    • Seduced (STARZ)

    • Heaven’s Gate (HBO)

    • Wild Wild Country (Netflix)

    • Prophet’s Prey (Showtime)

    • Daughters of the Cult (Hulu)

    • Love Has One (HBO)

    • Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey (Netflix)

    • Keep Sweet (Discovery+)

    • Truth & Lies: Jonestown (Hulu)

    • Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (HBO)

    • Scientology and the Aftermath (Netflix)

    • Waco (Netflix)

    • Waco (Paramount)

    • Escaping Twin Flames (Netflix)

    • Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult (Netflix)

    • On the Way Down (HBO)

    You can also check out my blogs about cults and high-demand groups

  • Focuses on spiritual abuse, loss of faith, and recovery from religious trauma.

    • Believer (HBO)

    • God & Country (Amazon Prime)

    • God Forbid (Hulu)

    • Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed (Discovery+)

    • Secrets of Hillsong (Hulu)

    • Pray Away (Netflix)

    • Unorthodox (Netflix)

    • Under the Banner of Heaven (Hulu)

    • Unveiled (HBO)

    • Bad Faith (Tubi)

    • Deep End (Hulu)

    • Jesus Camp (Hulu)

    • Shiny Happy People- Duggars (Amazon Prime)

    • Around the World in 80 Faiths, United States Episode (BBC)

    • Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (HBO)

    • Scientology and the Aftermath (Netflix)

    Check out the blogs here for further info on religious trauma

  • Highlights LDS, FLDS, and other Mormon branches with related trauma, control, and belief systems.

    • Mormon No More (Hulu)

    • Murder Among the Mormons (Netflix)

    • Daughters of the Cult (Hulu)

    • My Six Wives and 29 Children (YouTube)

    • Prophet’s Prey (Showtime)

    • Under the Banner of Heaven (Hulu)

    • Keep Sweet (Discovery+)

    • Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey (Netflix)

    Check out the blogs here for further info on Mormonism/ExMormons

  • Explores coercion through love, body, or self-improvement frameworks.

    • Escaping Twin Flames (Netflix)

    • Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult (Netflix)

    • On the Way Down (HBO)

    • Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser (Netflix)

    • The Deep End (Hulu)

    • Holy Hell (Prime Video)

    Check out the blogs here for further info on body image and how it relates to control groups

    You can also follow here for blogs on relationships

  • Examines corporate or pseudo-spiritual business models with cult-like control.

    • LulaRich (Amazon Prime)

    • Rise & Fall of LulaRoe (Discovery+)

    • WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (Hulu)

    • Bad Vegan (Netflix)

  • Explores radicalization, misinformation, and the psychology behind belief systems.

    • Into the Storm (HBO)

    • God & Country (Amazon Prime)

    • After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News (HBO)

    • Jesus Camp (Hulu)

    Follow here for blogs on political extremism and political anxiety

  • Examines systemic harm within organized religion or authority structures.

    • The Keepers (Netflix)

    • Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America (Netflix)

    • God Forbid (Hulu)

    • White Savior (Amazon Prime)

    Follow here for blogs on trauma

 *Disclaimer: These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Revitalize Wellness Counseling. Resources/ links are not a replacement for therapy. Revitalize Wellness Counseling bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

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