Unchosen

Netflix’s Unchosen has topped the streaming charts, but if you found this cult fantasy series underwhelming, there are four gripping alternatives

Unchosen landed on Netflix just over a week ago, with hordes of telly enthusiasts placing it at the top of their lists. Yet, I can’t claim I was particularly impressed by this dull, average cult fantasy.

I hoped to feel unsettled, I hoped to be mystified, but truthfully, this cult drama disappointed. This isn’t a criticism of Asa Butterfield, Molly Windsor and Fra Fre’s acting abilities, but when the script isn’t there to support you, there’s a limit to what can be achieved.

And all of this supposedly unfolding on my doorstep? Blimey, it wouldn’t shock me. I’ll need to keep my eyes peeled next time I head back to Surrey.

Like numerous Netflix smash hits, I’ve noticed the trailer contains more intrigue than the actual programme. Not that Unchosen was dreadful, it simply didn’t quite keep me gripped throughout, reports the Express.

To repeat the text displayed during Unchosen’s opening sequence: “Over 2,000 cults exist in the United Kingdom. Some are closed communities. But many, like this fictional one, live in plain sight.”

While these recommendations may not all centre on genuine cults, they definitely possess a cult-like atmosphere. They’re all wrapped in secrecy, seclusion, and propelled by a mission we ordinary folk won’t entirely grasp.

Here are some of the finest TV programmes, movies and documentaries centred on cults that might capture your attention… and lead you down a deep dive.

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)

This four-part documentary series delves into the harsh realities of growing up, living and escaping the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. Multiple members – and survivors – of the FLDS recount their experiences under the leadership of president Rulon Jeffs, who created the phrase that would become the series’ title, and his son Warren Jeffs.

At present, the younger Jeffs succeeded his father as the church’s leader. However, if this gives any indication about the practices exposed in the series, Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence for child sex offences.

Ex-members reveal the realities of existing under the church’s extreme regulations, and how the Jeffs’ wielded their authority over their congregation. We witness siblings, nieces and nephews forced into marriages with family members, with male church members having numerous wives and children.

Yet that’s not the most disturbing aspect of this documentary. It’s the forced marriage of actual teenagers and children to grown men. A medieval custom that belongs firmly in the past, not in contemporary society.

The series almost appears too far-fetched to be true, but then you recall it’s a documentary. The accusations and examination of child sex offences, human trafficking, child marriage, welfare fraud, and mistreatment of members and ex-members has shaped the outside world‘s perception of the church in recent times.

In a world riddled with double standards, this documentary exposes the shocking levels of moral corruption in people masquerading as followers of God’s teachings.

The Village (2004)

Haunted by mysterious, nameless beings, a tiny, isolated settlement in 19th century Pennsylvania exists in perpetual terror. Following a young resident’s death from sickness, Joaquin Phoenix’s Lucius Hunt seeks the elders’ approval to journey through the nearby forest for medical provisions.

When his plea is rejected, the reasoning given is to prevent further catastrophes. Romance develops between Lucius and the visually-impaired daughter of one of the village’s elders (Ivy, Bryce Dallas Howard), before Lucius sustains severe injuries.

I can’t delve too deeply into the storyline without revealing the conclusion, but Ivy sets out seeking assistance. Yet, appearances prove deceiving.

After all, M. Night Shyamalan is directing. There’s a revelation… there’s always a twist.

This thriller feeds on manipulation and falsehoods, essential tools for strengthening members’ conviction in their version of events. And bear in mind, it’s their version of reality, not ours.

The Wicker Man (1973 & 2006)

While the reimagining of The Wicker Man might not represent Nicolas Cage’s greatest performance, its initial commercial failure transformed into a devoted following over subsequent years. The narrative focuses on a police officer’s journey to a fictional remote island while investigating a disappeared girl.

The island’s residents have turned their backs on Christianity and now follow a type of Celtic paganism, but something far more sinister – naturally – is at play.

Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie (2015)

Scientology is one of those movements that’s lurked in the shadows of Hollywood for decades. One of your favourite actors or musicians has probably been linked with the organisation.

There’s nobody better equipped to attempt confronting the Church of Scientology than Louis Theroux, particularly after the church declines to participate in the documentary. In typical Louis Theroux fashion, nothing follows the usual script.

Rather, the documentary seeks to recreate testimonies from ex-members regarding incidents involving the church’s top brass, with assistance from former church official Mark Rathbun. Arguably one of the most striking moments from the documentary occurs when Louis and his team find themselves under surveillance and challenged outside the church’s mysterious Gold Base compound in California.

Intimidation seems to be a recurring pattern that extends beyond the documentary itself. Ex-members of the organisation have, over the years, described their encounters with being confronted while carrying out their daily routines – and voicing criticism of Scientology.

It makes for a deeply strange and maddening viewing experience, as we never truly grasp the extent to which the church is allegedly pulling strings behind the scenes. This film brought Scientology to widespread public attention, and even in an age where information is readily available, there remains so much mystery surrounding L. Ron Hubbard’s doctrines and David Miscavige’s tenure as the church’s second leader.

Netflix’s eerie cult thriller features a disturbing opening scene.

Unchosen’s dark opening scene has left viewers curious.

The show has just arrived on Netflix and the star-studded cult thriller follows a wife and mother who feels trapped in an oppressive Christian sect.

Echoing themes from The Handmaid’s Tale and Happy Valley, the dark psychological series sees Rosie (played by Molly Windsor) question who she can trust.

After she comes across an escaped convict called Sam (Fra Fee), he offers her a taste of life outside the religious cult, while her husband Adam (Asa Butterfield) continues to chastise her.

The thriller opens with Rosie, Adam and their daughter Grace (Olivia Pickering) enjoying a party outside with the other members of their extended cult family.

A storm suddenly closes in on them, forcing them all inside, and Grace looks particularly concerned as she calls it “the Rapture” – but what does this mean?

What does the Rapture mean in Unchosen?

At the start of the series, viewers learn that the Christian cult is part of the church of The Fellowship of the Divine.

Their beliefs quickly become apparent when Mrs Phillips (Siobhan Finneran) curses Grace for reading a children’s magazine – a forbidden item.

During their street party, a storm appears overhead and Grace looks particularly terrified, believing the black clouds and thunder are the signs of the Rapture.

In Christianity, the Rapture is the concept of an event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and reunited with Christians who are still alive.

Together, they will will rise “in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air”.

The storm clouds in the series represent the concept, which suggests live Christians will leave the earth to meet Jesus Christ.

Grace may have been scared at the thought of being ‘taken’ in order to meet Jesus Christ at the Second Coming.

The actual term ‘Rapture’ is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, it is instead a concept that has developed over time.

In his First Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul – one of the Apostles – wrote that Jesus would return one day, and “we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up”.

Some believe the Rapture is when Christ’s followers will be taken up to Heaven, while those who do not follow him will be left behind on Earth.

Unchosen is on Netflix