Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
UFO cult documentary has violence, sex, and insight.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults tells the story of the infamous UFO religious cult whose members died in a mass suicide in 1997. The series traces the origins of the cult and its founders, and why the members believed they might be able to become alien beings. Archival footage and new interviews with former members, family member, and historians explain how the cult grew and evolved throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The documentary seeks to understand the events that lead up to the mass suicide and the trauma the cult inflicted on the survivors and their families.
Is It Any Good?
UFO cults and other fringe organizations are often treated like tabloid material or weird human interest stories -- Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults, by contrast, begins by taking the cult, its members, and their beliefs as seriously as they do. This allows the documentary to do many things at once. It seeks to understand the members, the leaders, and their seemingly bizarre and erratic behavior. It gives insight on how cults and cult-like organizations operate and their methods of manipulation and control. It places Heaven's Gate into historical context, alongside tragedies such as the Jonestown Massacre. Finally, it explores how the actions of the Heaven's Gate cult and its leaders traumatized everyone that came into their orbit, with a focus on how the survivors cope with their trauma. The series is not always easy to watch, but it is consistently fascinating and informative. Even those who might just want to gawk at people who believe they're aliens should find something of value here.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Heaven's Gate. Did you know anything about the cult before watching the series? What was your perception of Heaven's Gate? How did that change over the course of the episode or series?
What techniques do the cult leaders use to manipulate its members? Why are those techniques effective? What other organizations have cult-like qualities or use similar manipulation techniques?
What are the lasting effects that Heaven's Gate has had on its former members and their families? How do the interview subjects cope with the trauma and loss caused by Heaven's Gate?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 3, 2020
- Network : Max
- Genre : Educational
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 4, 2022
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