Movies about Cults: Best Films
If you're looking for the best films about cults, this list is for you. The films we've included all represent masterful execution across different eras and approaches. Rosemary's Baby established the template in 1968, transforming domestic paranoia into supernatural dread, while The Wicker Man perfected folk horror with its unforgettable pagan nightmare.
The 2010s brought a true renaissance to the subgenre. Martha Marcy May Marlene offers a haunting psychological portrait of post-cult trauma, and Sound of My Voice presents an ambiguous, intelligent exploration of belief and manipulation. The Master elevates the genre through prestige filmmaking and powerhouse performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The Wailing delivers an epic, genre-transcending experience that has been hailed as one of the best horror films of the decade. Finally, Midsommar reinvents folk horror for modern audiences with Ari Aster's visually stunning and emotionally devastating vision of a Scandinavian cult.
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Rosemary's Baby
A young couple moves into a notorious New York apartment building with dark secrets, where Rosemary becomes increasingly paranoid about her elderly neighbors and their sinister intentions regarding her pregnancy.
The Wicker Man
A devoutly Christian police sergeant travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate a missing child, only to discover the pagan community's disturbing rituals and beliefs that challenge everything he holds sacred.
Martha Marcy May Marlene
After escaping from a cult, Martha seeks refuge with her estranged sister but struggles to readjust to normal life as disturbing memories and paranoia continue to haunt her.
Sound of My Voice
A journalist and his girlfriend infiltrate a mysterious cult whose enigmatic leader claims to be a time traveler from the future.
The Master
A troubled WWII veteran with PTSD becomes involved with the charismatic leader of a mysterious new religious movement in post-war America.
The Wailing
When a mysterious stranger arrives in a small Korean village, a deadly sickness begins spreading among the residents. A local policeman must uncover the supernatural truth behind the epidemic to save his infected daughter.
Midsommar
A group of friends travels to a remote Swedish village to witness a rare midsummer festival, but their idyllic getaway gradually transforms into a disturbing nightmare as they become entangled in the community's sinister traditions.
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