This is an amazingly authentic film about a young man (Nick Mancuso) who becomes involved in a pseudo-religious cult.
Predictably enough, while there are religious-sounding songs all over the place (a version of "Go Tell It On the Mountain" comes to mind), there is very little mention of God for a group that considers itself a "church."
The story revolves around David, a teacher who, in the opening moments of the film, is already involved with the cult. He is sitting in the back of a van, counting the money with one of the other cult members.
There are references to a leader called "Father" who is obviously all too human. God is conspicuous by His absence and the cult seems to worship a family (of grifters, no doubt).
The group has a woman in charge: Ingrid (Meg Foster), who bears a creepy resemblance to Elizabeth Clare Prophet. She controls everybody and everything. Is the resemblance deliberate? I couldn't say, but it is unmistakable.
David's friends and family are desperate. Best friend Larry (Saul Rubinek) and girlfriend Sarah (Dixie Seatle), along with David's parents (Marcia Diamond and Paul Soles) join forces and bring in deprogrammer Linc Strunc (R H Thomson).
The deprogramming sequence is harrowing, and I won't bother with details. Suffice it to say that David is human again at the end of the film.
This is a truly amazing and shocking film. Truth lives in every frame.
Predictably enough, while there are religious-sounding songs all over the place (a version of "Go Tell It On the Mountain" comes to mind), there is very little mention of God for a group that considers itself a "church."
The story revolves around David, a teacher who, in the opening moments of the film, is already involved with the cult. He is sitting in the back of a van, counting the money with one of the other cult members.
There are references to a leader called "Father" who is obviously all too human. God is conspicuous by His absence and the cult seems to worship a family (of grifters, no doubt).
The group has a woman in charge: Ingrid (Meg Foster), who bears a creepy resemblance to Elizabeth Clare Prophet. She controls everybody and everything. Is the resemblance deliberate? I couldn't say, but it is unmistakable.
David's friends and family are desperate. Best friend Larry (Saul Rubinek) and girlfriend Sarah (Dixie Seatle), along with David's parents (Marcia Diamond and Paul Soles) join forces and bring in deprogrammer Linc Strunc (R H Thomson).
The deprogramming sequence is harrowing, and I won't bother with details. Suffice it to say that David is human again at the end of the film.
This is a truly amazing and shocking film. Truth lives in every frame.