AUM: The Cult at the End of the World

It feels a little superficial... It didn't say a whole lot about why cults are interesting in the first place.

A far-ranging but only fitfully revealing investigation into how Aum came into being and, chillingly, whether or not it ever really went away.

An incisive look at the inner workings—and rise to prominence—of Aum Shinrikyo.

A sharpened, engrossing warning against false prophets that never feels heavy-handed

Especially in its homestretch, I felt like the film was awash in hastily defended conclusions and bad choices involving at least one key interview subject.

Frustratingly shortsighted about the societal conditions that allowed Aum to thrive in public for so long.

The warning tells us to pay attention to these groups, no matter how small or innocent they seem, for it is all merely window dressing, from something that only takes and never gives... winning of hearts, minds, and money at the expense of people’s lives.

The documentary begins with a comment that is troubling and possibly misleading about Japan. Even ignoring that quote, the documentary doesn't indicate how AUM compares to other cults of that time period in Japan or the English-speaking world.

The “yoga school to doomsday cult” pipeline is more well-traveled than you’d think.

Braun and Yanagimoto piece together the profile of its leader and the jagged timeline of his evolving doctrine, allowing the words of others to offer theories as to mentality and ultimate purpose.