Aliens from Spaceship Earth

Witness Underground

2024 · ★ 10

Punk rock, B-movies, and Jehovah’s Witnesses unite in this heartfelt documentary. As members of Jehovah’s Witness start to explore culture outside of their religion, they have to wrestle with the possibility of being excommunicated from friends and family. Featuring in-depth interviews and extensive home video footage, Witness Underground tells the story of punk rocker Witnesses pushing against the highly controlling Jehovah’s Witnesses religion as they build their own community through music and art. This prolific community of Witness musicians create their own record label, Nuclear Gopher, and become early adopters of promoting their music through the internet, including what may have been the first album to ever be livestreamed. This community’s history is well documented through archival footage of their home movies and self-produced music videos, all with a very charming energy.

Haruki Murakami: From Underground to 1Q84

2025 · ★ 6

Revealing the flaws of Japanese society, the 1995 sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway prompted Murakami to return to his homeland, whose conformism he rejected, to examine it closely. This led to the creation of two works: Underground and 1Q84.

Jesus Is King

2019 · ★ 4.9

Filmed during summer 2019, Jesus Is King brings Kanye West’s famed Sunday Service to life in the Roden Crater, visionary artist James Turrell’s never-before-seen installation in Arizona’s Painted Desert. This one-of-a-kind experience features songs arranged by West in the gospel tradition along with new music from his forthcoming album.

Heaven's Gate: The Untold Story

1999 · ★ 6.6

Documentary chronicling the history of the Heaven's Gate cult, including actual home video footage and interviews with surviving members.

Manlife

2017 · ★ 6

For over 80 years, Merle Hayden has crusaded to recruit members to the utopian movement Lawsonomy. Founded by aircraft pioneer Alfred Lawson, Lawsonomy advocates for economic reform and clean, communal living that transforms followers into a "New Species" that will benefit the human race either in this life or the next. Merle joined Lawson as a teenager and never looked back. His high school sweetheart Betty Kasch, however, is tired of Lawson coming between them. Reunited after over 60 years apart, non-believer Betty wants Merle to join her in Florida. Merle's commitment to preserving Lawson's legacy, artifacts currently rotting in a barn alongside a Wisconsin highway, has Betty worried Merle may leave her for Lawson once again.

Jesus Camp

2006 · ★ 7

A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.

Electronic Awakening

2011 · ★ 1.5

A documentary following the conscious evolution of electronic music culture and the spiritual movement that has awakened within.

The Cult Next Door

2017 · ★ 7

A short documentary featuring a brief overview of Bill Gothard's ministries, and some of the consequences for his followers.

A Weekend At Miss Martindale's

The documentary depicts three women enjoying a weekend roleplaying as schoolgirls and participating in BDSM activities under the auspices of the cult Aristasia.

God Willing

2010

The film examines the modern-day phenomenon of religious "intentional communities," or as they are often called, "cults." It takes as its focus "The Church," also known as "The Brotherhood," the 35-year-old ministry of shadowy messianic figure Jim Roberts. Since 1971, this secretive organization has recruited (hundreds) of adherents who live together in austere, separatist, communal groups, preaching salvation and damnation, and turning their backs on the outside world except when proselytizing for new members. A powerful exploration of a 35-year-old American religious sect known as “The Church” or “The Brotherhood.” It also outlines the struggles of families whose children turn away from them to become “Brothers” and “Sisters” in the group, renouncing their past lives and the world – often, without ever turning back.

Ghuza da Sher

The story of Nisar Ahmed Khan, told through his children and the people he served, a spiritual guide whose followers still visit his tomb on his birth and death anniversaries. And alongside how his family spends a few days at the village keeping his traditions alive.

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

2015 · ★ 7.6

The film profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.