7.1/10
2,841
48 user 20 critic

Holy Hell (2016)

Not Rated | | Documentary | 27 May 2016 (USA)
Trailer
2:23 | Trailer
An inside look at a West Hollywood cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s that eventually imploded.

Director:

4 nominations. See more awards »
Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

The Witness I (2015)
Documentary | Biography | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

The brother of Kitty Genovese investigates the circumstances of her murder and the truth of the story that dozens of locals witnessed the crime and did nothing to intervene.

Director: James D. Solomon
Stars: William Genovese, Shannon Beeby, Kitty Genovese
Deprogrammed (2015)
Documentary
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

Deprogrammed chronicles Ted 'Black Lightning' Patrick's rise as the notorious 'Father of Deprogramming'.

Director: Mia Donovan
Stars: Balavanta Das, Hridayananda Das Goswami, Ted Patrick
Holy Hell (2015)
Action | Comedy | Horror
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

Holy Hell is the over-the-top, outrageous, sexually-deviant, blood-drenched story of Father Augustus Bane: a priest pushed too far who begins praying to a revolver and hunting down the ... See full summary »

Director: Ryan LaPlante
Stars: Ryan LaPlante, Alysa King, Michael Rawley
Documentary | Biography | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

WHO TOOK JOHNNY is an examination into an infamous thirty-year-old cold case: the disappearance of Iowa paperboy Johnny Gosch, the first missing child to appear on a milk carton. The film ... See full summary »

Directors: David Beilinson, Michael Galinsky, and 1 more credit »
Stars: Nancy Allen, Paul Bonacci, Troy Boner
Amanda Knox (2016)
Documentary | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

American exchange student Amanda Knox is convicted and eventually acquitted for the 2007 death of another student in Italy.

Directors: Rod Blackhurst, Brian McGinn
Stars: Amanda Knox, Meredith Kercher, Raffaele Sollecito
Documentary
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

A look at the effects that online bullying has on the lives of teenagers and their community.

Directors: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk
Stars: Daisy Coleman, Jim Fall, Delaney Henderson
Enlighten Us (2016)
Documentary
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

ENLIGHTEN US: THE RISE AND FALL OF JAMES ARTHUR RAY is the story of the motivational rock star's meteoric rise, fall and return to the $11 billion self-help industry after his negligent ... See full summary »

Director: Jenny Carchman
Documentary
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

When a noted white supremacist moves into their town, the residents of Leith, North Dakota do what they can to prevent him from taking control of the municipality.

Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker
Stars: Craig Cobb, Ryan Lenz, Amber Schatz
Documentary | Music
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

A feature documentary film set in Hollywood, examining a radical experiment in '70s utopian living. The Source Family were the darlings of the Sunset Strip until their communal living, ... See full summary »

Directors: Maria Demopoulos, Jodi Wille
Stars: Ahom Aquarian, Isis Aquarian, Elena Michaels
Children of God (TV Movie 1994)
Documentary
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

A family describes their time within a religious cult, one that perpetuated pedophilia, sexual abuse, and prostitution.

Director: John Smithson
Stars: Sylvia Padilla, Miriam Padilla, Helen Mirren
Documentary | Biography | History
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

When Warren Jeffs rose to Prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, he took control of a religion with a history of polygamous and underage marriage. In a short time, ... See full summary »

Director: Amy Berg
Stars: Nick Cave, Elaine Anderson, Sam Brower
Documentary | Crime | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

A convicted murderer who has spent 23 years on Death Row tells his story.

Director: David Sington
Stars: Sammy Silverwatch, Nick Yarris
Edit

Cast

Credited cast:
Amy Allen ...
Herself
Cristala Allen ...
Herself
Gina Allen ...
Herself
...
Himself (as William Francesco Allen)
Jennifer Baca ...
Herself
Alessandra Burenin ...
Herself
Vera Cheiffo ...
Herself
...
Himself
Phillipe Coquet ...
Himself
Radhia Gleis ...
Herself
Julian Goldstein ...
Himself
Michel Gomez ...
Himself
Greg Gorey ...
Himself
Murti Hower ...
Himself
Chris Johnston ...
Edit

Storyline

An inside look at a West Hollywood cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s that eventually imploded.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Documentary

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

27 May 2016 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Святой ад  »

Filming Locations:


Edit

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,730, 3 June 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$16,905, 5 June 2016
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the very beginning of the documentary, as Will Allen narrates about his younger life and wanting to know all things spiritual, a stack of books is shown. The book on top is titled "A Handbook of Concepts for Living" and it was published in 1981, by Campus Crusade for Christ International, an evangelical Christian ministry. See more »

Quotes

Chris Johnston: There's this social interplay that happens between highly codependent people and pathological narcissists. Who is going to give a person who needs constant adoration and attention, who is going to give that to them, ceaselessly? Somebody who relies on him as the source of their self-esteem. And they'll say, "You seem like a normal, rational, intelligent human being. How did this happen to you?"... It's what we do every time we come into a religion. We take on their beliefs as truth. You will do...
See more »

Crazy Credits

Closing song written and performed by _Cabot Budlong_ former member for 20 years. Abused, still surviving... See more »

Connections

References The Six Million Dollar Man (1974) See more »

Soundtracks

Hooked on a Feeling
Written by Francis Zambon (as Mark James)
Performed by B.J. Thomas
Courtesy of Scepter Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Depth to Make you wonder about your choices
9 May 2016 | by See all my reviews

A great movie to make you question just who we give our power to in our daily lives, on a spiritual path or not.

Unlike a good number of the reviewers posted here, I actually saw the movie twice at Sundance. Beware, the movie never premiered in Minneapolis as mentioned in a review or two. Most of the reviews, and all of the negative ones are from current members of the cult. Let that show you something about this movie and why it is so relevant and important!

This is a captivating story with depth, where the director takes you along for the ride- his perspective while spending 20 years in this spiritual community turned cult. The talking head interviews from many of the cast members who were also group members allow you to understand why everyone was initially there in this community, something most cult movies never show.

And, the movie quite easily captures their confusion and disbelief when their idyllic world collapsed around them. Suddenly it was a classic CULT with a narcissistic leader, almost straight from the book and it is painful in moments, to listen their disillusionment and suffering, sometimes still a bit woven into their current lives. We feel with them.

A must see for anyone on a spiritual path as it is a tricky slope to do the work, surrender all that is not Awareness, yet not surrender your will to some one elses' personal agenda.


22 of 45 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 48 user reviews »

Contribute to This Page

What Are the Sundance Stars Watching?

"The IMDb Show" sits down with stars of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival to find out their favorite Sundance movies, including such films as L.I.E., An Education, and Whiplash.

Watch now