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Ral's claims of alien encounters and being a prophet were met with skepticism but managed to gain a following. Ral convinced his followers that he was on the same level as Jesus, despite performing no miracles. Despite being exposed as a fraud, Brigitte continues to claim the existence of the cloned Baby Eve. Ral now lives freely in Japan, with new Ralian leaders emerging globally.

A new Netflix documentary Ral: The Alien Prophet takes a deep dive into what appears to be one of the biggest media scams of the 21st century. The 4-part Netflix series was released on February 7, 2024, and quickly rose to the Top 10 Television chart on the giant streaming platform. The engrossing documentary chronicles the more than 50-year history of Frenchman Claude Vorilhon, who sparked massive media attention for claiming to be a prophet of an alien race he called the Elohim. He eventually gained a following...

Netflix and their love for documentary features is never-ending. There are countless documentaries, movies, and shows on the streaming platform that talk about various kinds of subjects. However, Netflix has a certain affinity for the topic of cults and the leaders that run them. Wild Wild Country, How to Become a Cult Leader, Escaping Twin Flames, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, and Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator are some of the documentaries on cults that have taken over the lives of the people. The incidents covered in the documentaries mentioned above were spread out over several decades and compiled by the streaming giant for people to understand what happens in those vast lands that bring together people from different backgrounds.

Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult is a three-part documentary that was released on May 29, 2024. Each episode of the documentary is almost an hour long. The makers bring together...

Netflix’s love for documentary series is unparalleled. Documentaries used to be rare watches. They were found on television channels dedicated to a specific topic. Netflix was one of the many Ott platforms that merged entertainment with educational documentaries that covered every kind of subject for people to watch. You name it, they have it. Toughest Forces on Earth is about three ex-armed forces men who are keen to do something adventurous. The Netflix deal just happened to fall on their laps, and their lives have changed ever since.

The 8-episode documentary series is all about the excitement of the hosts, Dean Stott, Cameron Fath, and Ryan Bates; all ex-armed forces men are given the chance to train with the elite armed forces of many countries around the world. They learn about combat skills by putting themselves to the test. The three men travel across the world in different terrains...

Exclusive: Daytime Emmy-winner Mike Manning and Olivia Blue will star in alien adventure film Unexpected Treasures, directed by John Paul Ungaretti, and written by Ungaretti, and Christina Heller. Ungaretti, best known for his work in the VFX and editorial department on movies like Water for Elephants and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and shows like Lost Ollie and Outer Banks on Netflix.

The film’s cast is rounded out with AnnaMaria DeMara, Jay Whittaker, Michael Dunn, Lauren Han, and Rex Edhlund.

Production for the film recently wrapped in Joshua Tree, CA. The script was inspired by the many extra-terrestrial-related stories and folklore of the Joshua Tree community and desert area. In the film, a wild alien encounter restores a local resident’s faith in humanity.

Jaime Gomez, the founder of the Buddhafield cult, used parlor tricks and mental manipulation to control his followers. Despite allegations of tax evasion and sexually predatory behavior, Gomez has faced no criminal charges or consequences. The Buddhafield cult is reportedly still operating in Hawaii, with Gomez continuing to lead the group.

The third episode of the Netflix documentary series How to Become a Cult Leader focuses on Buddhafield founder Jaime Gomez. Born in Venezuela, Gomez moved to Hollywood to break out as an actor. But with his acting dreams going nowhere, he resorted to holding mental sway over innocent youngsters in the 1980s, forming his cult. Gomez resorted to parlor tricks and mental manipulation to convince followers to do his bidding. Described as a “chiseled charlatan," Jaime Gomez was also involved in tax evasion and sexually predatory behavior.

The year 2006 offered a major blow to Jaime Gomez's rise to power,...

"You don't make $30 billion by accident." Netflix has revealed an official trailer for the latest Citizen Jones satirical doc series "How To" creation called How to Become a Mob Boss. It's arriving for streaming in a few weeks, if you've ever thought about throwing in the towel at your current job and become a king pin in your neighborhood. Peter Dinklage narrates through this satirical guide that delves into the rise and fall of history's most famous mob bosses, from Al Capone to Pablo Escobar, and their tactics for success. "As with 'How to Become a Tyrant' and 'How to Become a Cult Leader', we aim to help audiences recognize and guard against the tactics employed by these notorious individuals when they encounter them in their own leaders, and in the greater world." This looks like it should be a thrilling and engaging watch. I really dig the animation,...

The second half of Season 2 of “The Lincoln Lawyer” put the popular crime drama back atop the Top 10 charts for the week of July 31, as far as the English TV list, but how did “Heartstopper” Season 2 fare after its August 3 debut? Read on for this week’s analysis.

It seems appropriate that we start with the TV chart this week, since two returning shows topped the English series list with the second half of the second season of “Lincoln Lawyer” receiving 6.7 million views, followed by “Heartstopper” in second place with 6.1 million views. “Lincoln Lawyer” was the #1 watched show in the United States, Canada, four European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand, while “Hearstopper” was #1 in Mexico and a few other European countries, including the United Kingdom.

“The Witcher” Season 3 took third place on that chart with 5.4 million views, followed by Season 3 of “Sweet Magnolias” with 2.9 million views. The...

Netflix‘s adaptation of Alice Oseman‘s Heartstopper makes hearts flutter after debuting on Netflix’s Top 10 TV List, with The Lincoln Lawyer returning to the top spot. The chart tabulating Netflix’s English-language series shows Heartstopper drawing 6.1M views, with fans returning to see Nick and Charlie’s trip to France and witness the evolution of their new relationship. Meanwhile, after debuting its final episodes, The Lincoln Lawyer found 6.7M views approaching the bench from July 31 to August 6.

The Witcher, featuring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia for the last time before Liam Hemsworth assumes the role, fell from number one to number 3, tossing 5.4M views to its coffers. Completing the top five were Sweet Magnolias Season 3, in fourth place, and How to Become a Cult Leader, debuting in fifth with 2.3M views.

On the English Films list, Hidden Strike, an action-adventure flick starring Jackie Chan and John Cena,...

Season 2 of “Heartstopper” soared to second place on the Netflix Top 10 during the July 31-Aug. 6 viewing window as fans jumped to reunite with Nick and Charlie. After premiering on the service on Aug. 3, the new installment recorded 6.1 million total views.

Just as the new chapter joined the English TV List, “The Lincoln Lawyer” Season 2 returned to the top of the chart at No. 1 with the release of Part 2. Also premiering on Aug. 3, the latter episodes pushed the installment to 6.7 million views for the week, bringing its total views for the season to 23.3 million. Now, with a full runtime of 8.11 hours, the season was viewed for 55.2 million hours. Season 1 also reentered the list in the No. 6 spot with 2.1 million views.

“The Witcher” Season 3 fell to third place on the chart after just previously returning to No. 1 on the chart with the second half of the third season’s release. In its...

The second half of “The Lincoln Lawyer” Season 2 has pushed its way to the top of Netflix’s top 10 English-language TV list.

Since its return on Thursday, Part 2 of the legal drama has secured 6.7 million views for the week, bringing the season’s total views to 23.3 million. The first half of this installment was released over a month ago on July 6. Season 1 of the David E. Kelley series also reappeared on the list, securing the No. 6 spot with 2.1 million views.

“The Lincoln Lawyer” was then followed by the romantic return of Nick and Charlie thanks to Season 2 of “Heartstopper.” The young-adult series has received 6.1 million views since its Thursday premiere, putting it right ahead of last week’s TV leader, “The Witcher” Season 3 Part 2. The Henry Cavill fantasy thriller only secured 5.4 million views compared to last week’s 7.8 million views.

As for the rest of the English-language TV list, “Sweet Magnolias...

Court was back in session last week as The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2 climbed back into first place among Netflix’s English-language series.

Following the release of the final episodes, the sophomore season drew 6.7M views for the week of July 31 to August 6. That brings Season 2’s total since launch to 23.3M views. The buzz around the remaining episodes was also enough to boost Season 1 back into the rankings at No. 6 with 2.1M views.

Audiences were also eager to jump back into Nick and Charlie’s love story in Heartstopper Season 2. The second installment flew to No. 2 on the English-language list with 6.1M views.

The Witcher Season 3 fell from the top spot into third place, collecting another 5.4M views this week. Rounding out the top five were Sweet Magnolias Season 3 at No. 4 and How to Become a Cult Leader, which debuted in fifth place with 2.3M views.

Fatal Seduction, Too Hot to Handle,...

This article contains spoilers for How To Become A Cult Leader episode 5.

How to Become a Cult Leader provides a terse, yet encouraging, look at some of the history’s most notorious cult leaders across history. Narrated by Peter Dinklage, the Netflix series offers “tips” on how to break into this growing field, offering six half-hour episodes of cautionary tales.

Episode 5 focuses on Shoko Asahara, leader of the meditation and yoga cult Aum Shinrikyo. On March 20, 1995, the group released plastic bags containing homemade sarin, a toxic nerve gas, on five subway lines of the Tokyo Metro during rush-hour. The gas killed 13 people and injured over 6,000. As the documentary points out, a second but failed attempt was made on the subways using Zyklon B, hydrogen cyanide. These weren’t the first casualties of the sect’s run.

Reverend Shoko Asahara was born Chizuo Matsumoto on March 2, 1955, in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture.

Brothers Chapman and Maclain Way, the sons of screenwriter Rick Way, grandsons of actor Bing Russell, and nephews to Kurt Russell (that one you know), have some obvious Hollywood pedigree. They also have a Primetime Emmy for 2018’s “Wild Wild Country” and Sundance status for 2014’s “The Battered Bastards of Baseball,” both of which were distributed by Netflix.

With the Tuesday return of their best-in-genre sports-documentary series “Untold,” the guys also have a legitimate claim for Top Netflix brothers. Sorry, Duffers; and Joe and Anthony Russo, you had better make something really good out of that “Gray Man” universe.

“Untold: Volume 3” debuts with a doc about the rise of yet another pair of bothers, Jake Paul and Logan Paul. “The Problem Child,” directed by Andrew Renzi is Jake’s (pictured above) story. And though Chapman, 36, and Maclain, 32, didn’t direct any of this season’s four “Untold” installments, their style...

Fans of The Witcher have rushed to Netflix to bask in the final outing of Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, with the second half of The Witcher season three now taking the number one spot in the streaming platform’s ‘Top 10.’ The third season of The Witcher is the last time that the popular fantasy series will be led by Man of Steel and Mission: Impossible – Fallout star Henry Cavill, who will depart the role going into season four.

And clearly, fans of The Witcher have been as excited as they are saddened by Cavill’s decision to walk away from the show, flocking to Netflix and putting the series back at the tippy top. With The Witcher in first place, the rest of the top ten includes the romantic drama Sweet Magnolias, the documentary How to Become a Cult Leader, anime series Baki Hanma, and the stand-up...

Netflix's How to Become a Cult Leader takes a satirical approach to notorious cult leaders, exploring their rise to power and influence. The series relies on Peter Dinklage's narration to blend pathos and humor, discussing the dark histories of cult leaders and their control over followers. How to Become a Cult Leader is a spiritual successor to How to Become a Tyrant, focusing on individual atrocities rather than political history, offering a chilling vision of megalomania.

The Netflix documentary How to Become a Cult Leader offers a tongue-in-cheek look at numerous notorious cult leaders, and the series prompted viewers to wonder about the identity of the show's sardonic narrator. How To Become A Cult Leader is a Netflix docuseries that chronicles the rise and fall of well-known cult leaders such as Charles Manson and Jim Jones. Netflix's How to Become a Cult Leader posits itself as a guide...

The final episode of How To Become A Cult Leader is about bringing to the table all the playbook rules and merging them into one singular cult leader who managed to follow all of them and was successful in executing them. His execution worked in his favor for years later; his legacy still sustains him, and the man is considered a spiritual leader of the highest order.

Sun Myung Moon, the leader of the Unification Church, ran the organization for sixty years without any hitch or scandal rocking the organization to its core. The followers of the Unification Church, also known as Moonies, remain an influential religious group long after the death of their leader. The group was functioning in such a manner that people from the outside had no reason to doubt their intentions, even though there was corruption that was not brought to the forefront.

The saga of...

Welcome to the 224th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.

Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).

This week’s episode looks at the latest ripples to stem from Hollywood’s historic dual strike, pays tribute to the late Sinead O’Connor and much more.

Here’s how the episode plays out:

1. Mailbag

With a shortage of deals amid Hollywood’s hot labor summer, we’re answering listener questions each week. This week, we respond to queries about game shows, why actors aren’t promoting previously filmed work and if the Emmys should create an ensemble category. If you have a question...

In the second episode of this installment of the How to Become series, the cult leaders’ tropes are discussed in detail. The second episode was about Jim Jones and how he converted his flock from mere three digits to five in a few years but ended up paying the price with his life. He killed himself and convinced his entire commune at Jonestown, Guyana, to do the same. How to Become a Cult Leader Episode 3 focuses on how the cult leader Jaime Gomez of Buddhafield managed to form a commune, claiming he would provide high consciousness and enlightenment to those who joined his group.

At one point, Jaime Gomez was so popular that many stars, models, and dancers joined his cult in the hope of achieving the same thing he promised. The only way to achieve this was to live the life of a celibate during their stay with Buddhafield.

The first episode of How to Become a Cult Leader trudged through the topic of building the foundation of the cult. Cementing the basic idea into people’s minds and working hard enough to make sure people stick to it so that they follow without questioning your intentions. The second episode is not just about building the foundation but increasing the members of your group. A cult leader will want more people to follow him because making them believe in his truth is the ultimate goal. More followers lead to a powerful leader. This is where Reverend Jim Jones comes into the picture. The man behind People’s Temple was known for bringing thousands of his devotees under his wing and making them believe in apostolic socialism, something that capitalist America is dead against. This constant brainwashing about an apocalypse coming their way led to a tragedy of a monumental scale.

How to Become a Cult Leader is a fictional textbook that describes through a documentary series what gives birth to a cult leader and what it is that sustains them for a period of time surrounded by followers. It is interesting to understand what quality of them attracts crowds and showcases dedication and loyalty for some time. The entire series covers each aspect of this playbook, and throughout, viewers are introduced to cult leaders who left a devastating impact.

The first episode of the show is about the leader of the Manson family, the infamous Charles Manson. Through this episode, the makers talk about how Charles ‘Charlie’ Manson managed to build a group for himself that was based on a strong foundation of him being a messiah, and he surrounded himself with young women who were charmed by his good looks and his way of connecting with them through his words.

Two years ago, Netflix began the How to Become family of satirical documentary series, which became hugely popular. The first of the many in the line was released in the year 2021 and was titled How to Become a Tyrant. The satirical humor laced documentary series helped people understand what was not right with the tyrants who ruled their countries with absolute power. The second installment of this Netflix Original documentary series is How to Become a Cult Leader, you can guess what the content of the show will be and who it is going to be about.

How to Become a Tyrant takes no time to jump into the nitty gritty of what happens behind the closed doors of so-called ‘cult leaders.’ The documentary covers in detail world-famous gurus, hypnotists, pastors, yoga teachers, and preachers, and each episode of the show is dedicated to one leader who ran a commune...

How to Become a Cult Leader is the documentary equivalent of a Charles Manson T-shirt, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The larger vibe shift away from the earnest sensitivity of the 2010s into something coarser and less inhibited is reflected in the sarcastic tone of this series: True to its title, How to Become a Cult Leader gives “aspiring cult leaders” — of whom you, the viewer, is presumed to be one — tips on how to gain, consolidate, and maintain control over a flock of devoted sheep. In six half-hour episodes, you’ll learn how to “harness human vulnerability and make it work for you” through tactics like “personalize your pitch,” “build your Eden,” and “give ‘em a show.” A weepy paean to “honoring the victims” this is not.

On July 1, 2000, Lucie Blackman, a vivacious, 21-year-old flight attendant disappeared. She’d moved from her home in the UK to Tokyo in search of exotic adventures and a way of financing some debts. Rumors of abduction by a cult or sex trafficking abounded, and the Tokyo Police had few leads to share with her terrified family.

Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case revisits Blackman’s final days in Japan and subsequent disappearance. As directed by Hyoe Yamamoto, the new Netflix documentary plays less like a true crime mystery and more like a snuff film. Featuring interviews with Blackman’s friends, family and several key Japanese investigators, the film makes it clear early on that Lucie met with a terrible fate. Yamamoto doesn’t want to titillate the audience with a gallery of suspects, theories and conjecture. He wants viewers to know from the outset that their deepest fears for Blackman are warranted,...

Once you’ve spent six episodes snarking on the likes of Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler, the idea of wringing wry laughter out of a few cult leaders must not seem intimidating.

At the same time, once you’ve spent six episodes snarking on the likes of Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler, how much challenge is there in poking fun at colorfully outsize personalities and their devoted followers when they’ve already been the butt of jokes for, in some cases, generations?

Those two statements are, respectively, the principle behind and the primary limitation to Netflix’s new six-episode documentary-comedy How to Become a Cult Leader, a follow-up in tone, style and structure to 2021’s How to Become a Tyrant.

Boasting a common production team led by Jake Laufer, Jonas Bell Pasht and Jonah Bekhor, as well as the invaluable support of narrator and executive producer Peter Dinklage,...

"It's very important to convince people there is something sacred about you." Netflix revealed their official trailer for the doc series called How to Become a Cult Leader, streaming at the end of July for anyone who wants to find out the answer. It's the latest in Netflix's series of "How To Become" docs, following the original How To Become A Tyrant in 2021. Citizen Jones & Estuary Films, the producers behind these docs, have also announced How To Make A Mob Boss coming up in 2024 as well. A look inside the cult leader's playbook for achieving unconditional love, endless devotion and the power to control people's minds, bodies and souls. How to Become a Cult Leader is narrated by actor Peter Dinklage, who presents this satirical "guidebook" for capturing a devoted cult following. There are references in this trailer to cults like Aum in Japan, Osho from Wild Wild Country, Michel...

The Lincoln Lawyer is kicking off the second half of Season 2 with a trip to the hospital, before returning to the courtroom in a new trailer for the Netflix drama’s return.

In the above video, Mickey is quick to get back to work — “I don’t have time for rest. I’ve got a trial coming up,” he says — while Maggie worries over her ex.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Hardy Boys' Final Trailer, Summer House Spinoff News and MoreThe CW Unveils Fall Premiere Dates for FBoy Island's Return, Sullivan's Crossing and More ImportsTVLine Items: Ariana Madix on Love Island,...

Netflix already has some great docs about cults and their leaders, including “Wild Wild Country” and “Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey.” But now, the streamer takes a more tongue-in-cheek approach to megalomaniacal leaders and their flocks in a new six-part series: “How To Become A Cult Leader.”

Read More: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2023

The series marks the second in Netflix’s “How To Become…” series, the first of which, “How To Become A Tyrant,” hit the streamer in 2021.

Continue reading ‘How To Become A Cult Leader’ Trailer: New Doc Series About Megalomaniac Leaders And Their Flocks Hits Netflix On July 28 at The Playlist.