Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults (2020)

SERIES

20201 Season51m episodes6.8

Documentary, Crime

TMDB6.8

Votes41

Your rating

Runtime: 51m episodes
Genre: Documentary
Certificate: TV-MA
Origin: US

About

What do you believe?

What started in 1975 with the disappearance of 20 people from a small town in Oregon, ended in 1997 with the largest suicide on US soil and changed the face of modern New Age religion forever. This four-part docuseries uses never-before-seen footage and first-person accounts to explore the infamous UFO cult that shocked the nation with their out-of-this-world beliefs.

Where to watch

Region

Stream

HBO Max Amazon Channel

HBO Max

Availability from JustWatch via TMDB.

Details

Status: Ended
First aired: Dec 3, 2020
Network: HBO Max
Studio: CNN Original Series, Campfire Studios

Time to finish

3 hrs

4 episodes. About 1 week at an hour a night.

View on IMDb ↗

Cast

Marshall Applewhite

Self - Co-Leader of Heaven’s Gate (archive footage)

Bonnie Nettles

Self - Co-Leader of Heaven’s Gate (archive footage)

Sawyer

Self - Former Member

Frank Lyford

Self - Former Member

Benjamin Zeller

Self - Religious Studies Professor

Janja Lalich

Self - Sociologist

Robert Balch

Self - Sociologist

SERIES

20201 Season51m episodes6.8

Documentary, Crime

TMDB6.8

Votes41

Your rating

Runtime: 51m episodes
Genre: Documentary
Certificate: TV-MA
Origin: US

About

What do you believe?

Where to watch

Region

Stream

HBO Max Amazon Channel

HBO Max

Availability from JustWatch via TMDB.

Episodes

0 of 0 watched

E1 · Airs Dec 3, 2020 · 51m · ★ 7.0
The Awakening
March 1997. Thirty-nine members of the Heaven’s Gate cult are found dead in a Southern California mansion - the largest mass suicide in U.S. history. The inception of this mysterious group dates back to 1970s Oregon, where founding members Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite begin to recruit individuals interested in end-of-the-world Christianity, new age religion, and UFOs - but the disappearance of new members soon drives media attention and family concerns.
E2 · Airs Dec 3, 2020 · 51m · ★ 6.5
The Chrysalis
As the Heaven’s Gate "Classroom" begins, Bonnie and Marshall - who call themselves "Ti" and "Do" or "The Two" - enforce strict rules of no family communication. After Ti dies from cancer in 1985, a distraught Do briefly allows members to visit their families, and a few consider leaving the group for good. When the members return, Do becomes much more controlling - and opens the door to group suicide.
E3 · Airs Dec 3, 2020 · 51m · ★ 6.5
The Second Harvest
Using a popular sci-fi TV series to help bolster his teachings, Do encourages asexuality and individual submission for the benefit of the collective - and even initiates voluntary castrations. Having dwindled in number, the group starts recruiting again, but they’re met largely with derision and skepticism. Seeing this as a sign, Do begins planning their exit to the next level.
E4 · Airs Dec 3, 2020 · 51m · ★ 7.2
The Exit
The 1997 arrival of the Hale-Bopp comet spurs the group to prepare for their departure, though their plan to commit mass suicide goes undetected. After an anonymous 911 caller alerts the authorities, Heaven’s Gate, deemed the first "internet cult," becomes a media and pop culture phenomenon - but the suicides have a very different effect on those closest to them. Today, former members, loved ones, and experts reflect on the legacy of Heaven’s Gate, offering a chilling reminder that indoctrination can happen to anyone.

Details

Status: Ended
First aired: Dec 3, 2020
Network: HBO Max
Studio: CNN Original Series, Campfire Studios

Time to finish

3 hrs

4 episodes. About 1 week at an hour a night.

View on IMDb ↗

Cast

Marshall Applewhite

Self - Co-Leader of Heaven’s Gate (archive footage)

Bonnie Nettles

Self - Co-Leader of Heaven’s Gate (archive footage)

Sawyer

Self - Former Member

Frank Lyford

Self - Former Member

Benjamin Zeller

Self - Religious Studies Professor

Janja Lalich

Self - Sociologist

Robert Balch

Self - Sociologist

About

Where to watch

Details

Time to finish

Cast

If you like this

Similar

About

Where to watch

Episodes

Details

Time to finish

Cast

If you like this

Similar

Episodes