Wild Wild Country (2018) User Reviews (244)

I grew up in a Cult as a child. This is portrayed perfect.

[ShaunV1990 · 9/10 · 19 March 2018]

The last two years I've been absolutely astonished about the sheer quality of docu-series Netflix has been bringing out. "Making a murderer", "Flint town", "The Keepers", to name a few.

But this one was especially on some level really emotional for me. As I myself was raised in a Indian cult. Not this one, but many aspects are almost identical. I am now 27 and I still struggle on a daily base with many things that were taught to me at such a young age. What struck me was how well portrayed this guy was. The almost hypnotically way he could look, and even walk, got people in some sort of a trance. I myself experienced many times where we saw our "Guru" talk, and he had the same aura that also Baghwan has. The other aspect that struck me was them talking about following, but you could feel they actually were all deeply in love with him. A cult leader is not someone you follow, you fall deeply and madly in love with him. This happened to my mother and even after leaving almost 15 years ago, she still can't stop looking to this new love. She never became a stable person again in her life.

The docu itself should be an example to future docu makers. The pacing is nearly perfect. The interviews are well paced, just a few people on different sides, and somehow you all get some sort of attachment to their side of the story. You strongly get the feeling from episode one that nothing is black and white. And that all of these people strongly believed in their cause. There is no one who had the complete truth or did the complete right thing. And Baghwan is equal mysterious in this documentary than in real life. Somehow they don't try to explain the person Baghwan, because you simply cannot explain him. In that way his followers were absolutely right. He is a one of a kind person, and to others he was a con man. For me? He is something in between.

Yes, watch it. But dont start it at night or you will need a lot of coffee at work the next day

[estucofen · 9/10 · 19 March 2018]

I have to say, Netflix pretty much ruins everything that it put his hands on it when talking about fiction tv shows. Now, on documentaries, I take my hat off. This one really nailed it and this is why you should watch it:

• The story is so bizarre and unbelievable that is no other way to show it than with a documentary
• This must be one of the most unbiased documentaries ever. You are trying to figure out whos the bad guy through the entire series.

• The amount of real life footage gather here is just breathtaking, almost like "Capturing the Friedmans"
• You will find yourself saying "WHAT? NO WAY" every 15 minutes.

The most crazy documentary I've seen!

[apple-60202 · 9/10 · 19 January 2020]

I'm not into cult, but this documentary really blows my mind. Learnt so much history about the town, the religion and the whole process. It gets better and better each episode, couldn't stop watching! It's crazy that this is only back in the 80s.

Orwell's brilliant Animal Farm in real life

[SamJohnson1 · 28 March 2018]

To understand why utopias do not work this provides a fascinating real life example.

A guru who chooses not to speak and allows his followers to take control - Sheela is a brilliant mix of artful aggression and disingenuousness. Her lack of enlightenment by the end is bizarre. The whole purpose of following Osho was supposedly to gain enlightenment. Will the day ever come when she recognises that her need for power created only chaos?

Human nature in all its frailty plays out on film - everyone should see this - and read Animal Farm, which predicted it all decades ago. Slightly overlong which is the only reason it doesn't get 10 stars - but worth staying with as it truly gets weird halfway through.

Fascinating but unsatisfying

[bernadette-53145 · 8/10 · 21 March 2018]

Impressively done documentary that even after 5 to 6 hours still leaves too many questions unanswered. Too much focus on the neighbors, too little on actual life within the commune. Respectful interviewing, but not thorough enough. I'm still very fascinated though. How charismatic must people be and how wonderful the commune life that you don't get absolutely disgusted with the extreme greed of your leader and the aggression of his secretary?

Never picks a side

[jellopuke · 9/10 · 8 April 2018]

What's great about this show is that it never takes sides, instead shows everyone telling their side and letting you figure out who's lying (lots) and who's honest. I wish there'd been a touch more expansion on the pre and post worlds, but I get that the focus was on the Oregon episode, so it's hardly critical. What was most striking here was how bigoted and clueless the people of Antelope were, how racist and NIMBY. And yet, the cult itself was messed up, so both sides have merit! Find your own truth!

Fascinating, Bizarre, Compelling

[neener3707 · 9/10 · 16 March 2018]

I've said it numerous times, if Netflix does anything right, its it's original docu-series shows like Shot In The Dark, Firechasers, Voyeur, Wormwood, Making A Murderer, and Dirty Money. This miniseries is definitely another great series from Netflix, a compelling and very interesting story about the enigmatic Indian spiritual leader Osho and his Neo-Sannyas Movement and their relocation to a virtually uninhabited location in the US, creating their own city, and the subsequent 1984 bio-terror attack of many dozens of people being poisoned and a series of attempted murders. The story is perfectly executed and kept me interested and mesmerized me through this bizarre but fascinating cult like movement only to be shocked at the end result of the movement. It was amazing to watch what could have been a beautiful and incredible thing spiraled out of control. A truly unique story very deserving of a watch.

Split up into 6 parts, we experience the beginnings of the religion/cult/movement in India, to their creation of 15,000 strong city from nothing, to the internal frictions, and the subsequent scandal that forever changed the movement. I remember nothing about this because I had yet to be born when it happened, and even some people much older than me didn't know of this amazing story. The story starts off very spiritual, very positive, almost the creation of a Utopian society. But through careful and meticulous story telling, things begin to unwind and things end badly, something you would have never expected if you went into this with no knowledge of it.

All in all, a very fascinating story as far as I'm concerned, definitely worth a watch.

One of the most fascinating documentaries you will ever see

[Ruskington · 8/10 · 13 April 2020]

It's great to finally see an in-depth documentary on one of the most bizarre events of the late 20th century. What happened at Rajneeshpuram in the 1980s is so extraordinary it's actually difficult to comprehend. The series is well-presented and thoroughly absorbing.

I was amazed at how much video footage they had from inside the commune- I really had no idea this much material even existed. I was also surprised at how much prime time news coverage the story received. The Way brothers should certainly be commended for how much time and research went into this production.

The major problem with the show, as many others have pointed out, is that it does not tell the whole story. In fact, it doesn't even come close. There are many incredibly disturbing stories about what went on in the commune during this time period, the worst of which involve sexual abuse of children. There is information about this online as well as in published books by former sannyasins and commune members. And while it may not be possible to discern exactly what is true and what isn't, there is enough credible evidence to suggest that some very dark events took place under the watch of Rajneesh and his associates.

The two main interviewees, Phillip Toelkes and Jane Stork, fail to discuss these more serious topics and spend a lot of time marvelling over how great a man Rajneesh was. Toelkes in particular is clearly still obsessed with his former guru, to the point where he cannot stop crying every time he mentions his name. It becomes incredibly tiresome and the amount of airtime he gets in this show is inexcusable.

Sheela, however, is a much more interesting character. By all accounts, she has done some terrible things and is arguably lucky to be a free woman but either way, she is fascinating to watch and listen to- both then and now. The documentary would not have had anywhere near as much impact without her presence.

It's hard to know if the Way brothers produced this show with a slight bias towards Rajneesh and his followers or simply that they looked in the wrong places and only found half the story. Either way, this is a great watch but I would highly recommend doing some of your own research to get a more balanced view of things. Christopher Calder's online articles are a great place to start.

The more one thinks about it, the more insight one gets

[claradoz · 6/10 · 12 February 2019]

I saw this documentary some days ago and have been since then thinking whether I wanted to write a review or not. I finally created an IMDB account specifically to review this movie; this is my first review.

Despite being a very interesting story, which keeps getting wierder and wierder, there are some points which I did not like so much.

First of all, after finishing watching, I felt like I was manipulated by Sheela to understand why she did all those things, and to think that it was the only way out for her. Like she was excusing herself but never apologizing or regretting anything she did. I feel that the movie is too focused on her and her side of the story. Furthermore, there was a very little view in the the detectives' and FBI agents' side of the story. I would have liked to hear them develop further about the case and their findings. When they were about to say something interesting, the interview was discontinued.

Second, I think that there were some relevant points that are never developed. For instance, the whole time I was thinking how did they get so much money to buy the ranch, to bring in the heavy building machinery, and buy the materials. I was waiting for a financial scandal to pop-up at some point, but never did. It just seemed that people donated money voluntarily. After reading further, I learned that the ranch was bought by Sheela's first husband for almost 6million dollars, and that the cult was sued by a woman claiming 300,000 dollars. The show never mentions or develops on this point.

Third, I never understood the fascination of the followers for Osho or Sheela. Osho barely appeared, and Sheela only talked politics. I could not understand why the cult was perceived so negatively when the Interviewers where constantly winning about how great their time in Oregon was. I only showed the point of view of privileged people within the organization. Of coarse they where having the time of their life!

After reading further, I realized that the film is missing the cult component .I would have liked learn further about why this cult was so bad, which would basically explain all the points above.

However, I do rate this series with a 6 because I do think that it does explain a very interesting story. Also, the fact that Sheela talks so much, even though at first it feels that we are getting too much of her, also reveals how screwed up she is. It seems as the directors, without looking for any bias, where exposing her to her real nature. All in all, it is worth watching, though I do recommend complementing with other films that deep dive into cult dynamics, such as Holy Hell.

Rare insight into 'cult-life'

[pdiepersloot · 8/10 · 18 March 2018]

Although some of the former members dismiss the term cult when referring to the Rajneesh movement, it undoubtedly shows a range of similarities to what might be referred to as a cult. Nonetheless the documentary series Wild Wild Country proofed surprisingly succesful in offering insights that go beyond the taboos and stigmas normally surrounding the subject. Clearly the Rajneesh movement was something that the world had not seen before and the world, perhaps, hasn't seen since.

Focussing around the Indian guru Rajneesh, later known as Osho, the documentary starts off by exploring the very beginning of the movement. Its unorthodox teachings, controversial beliefs as well as its international reach slowly unfold during the first episode of the documentary series. Gradually the focus of the documentary however shifts towards the individuals who circulated within the inner circles of the movement. This inevitably transforms the documentary into an exposition of 'the individual as part of a cult' rather than an exploration of the deeper beliefs of the movement (which at times seem contradictory).

Nonetheless the documentary continues to captivate the viewer as opposition against the movement arises during the cults relocation in Oregon. It is here where the movement encounters more and more opposition which in return fuels the hostility from members towards outsiders. It is not unlike patterns we've seen with cults like the church of Scientology and the Peoples Temple where, once a stark contrast between in- and outsiders has been established, a cult turns violent. The documentary manages to explore the depths of the criminal activities in which the Rajneesh movement was involved without overtly (or excessively) steering its viewers towards a certain point of view. The result is a story that shocks without excessive dramatization.

What makes this documentary worthwhile is the way the story unfolds. Although spread over six different episodes the documentary could be seen as one climactic film in which tension continues to build until it has reached its inevitable climax. Surprisingly the documentary does not necessarily leave one to wonder how people could ever be part of the group, for it also displays the movements admirable qualities. Rather it leaves you to ask how knowledge about the Rajneesh movement could have been absent for you prior to watching the documentary series. If this is the case indeed, then this is a must-watch.

To me personally the appeal of the movements leader remains unclear. This ofcourse could be explained by the lack of insights the documentary offers regarding his background and the very origine of the movement. So yes, the documentary will leave you with many questions. But rather than leaving you with the illusion of presenting the full story, the documentary ignites within you a thirst for knowledge. I guess that is exactly what one might demand from documentaries: the desire to know more.

False narrative of a besieged Rajneesh

[leonidas2374 · 7/10 · 10 February 2020]

The film makers, and this author, create a false narrative of a besieged Rajneesh. For instance, they made the hotel bombing seem to be some sort of violent escalation by the local townsfolk. The hotel was bombed by Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a violent Islamic sect. This wasnt a secret, one of their members was convicted of the crime in 1983. Ignoring that and intimating that innocent Oregonians were a threat that somehow legitimized POISONING 700 INNOCENT PEOPLE WITH SALMONELLA is outrageous. Sheela is a clinical psychopath, the way she lies and manipulates makes for good television, I suppose, but it should have been challenged accurately.

Morally Ambiguous.

[henryshear · 8/10 · 6 May 2021]

I thought that this would be similar to other docuseries that portrayed criminals; the cult would be guilty of crimes and there would be no questions remaining, but I was wrong. The Bhagwan, the leader of the Rajneeshees, was a mysterious figure and no one seemed to understand him. His followers described his graceful and loving presence while his enemies described him as a con man.

What's clear is that that the Rajneesh community was a cult. A follower tried to state that it was not, but it clearly was. The irrational love for the Bhagwan, intoxicated mannerisms and the inability to wear other clothes besides their signature red are clear signs that the Rajneesh movement was a cult. However, I do not think that they had any ill intentions until there was conflict with local residents in Oregon.

The issue with introducing a foreign religion to an established city, like Antelope, with its own traditions poses issues. Catholics, Quakers, Christians and other religions have territories across the US and this was the goal of the Rajneesh movement and its followers (Sannyasins). They came to Oregon under false pretenses stating that they wanted a small community, but really they wanted to extend their influence throughout the US. Veiled threats from citizens of Antelope greatly increased tensions and both parties committed morally ambiguous choices.

Sheela was responsible for the conflict. She was the Bhagwan's assistant and acted as the spokesperson for the movement. When I watched, it was interesting to compare her past and present self. I detected a complete lack of empathy in her past interviews, but she did seem to have a little remorse or sadness in the present. The Bhagwan claims that she was responsible for every criminal act that occurred, but as leader of the commune in Oregon and of the movement how could he be unaware of her diabolical plans? This is where people have wildly different opinions.

Even I was questioning how much the Bhagwan was aware of what happened. The creative team clearly wants viewers to have these same questions and I was impressed. The interview selection was perfect. Prosecutors provided essential information, but nothing that really portrayed the Bhagwan as malevolent or particularly deceitful. Sheela seemed to be the perfect scapegoat if he was involved with any of the crimes. Something that irked me was how every single one of his followers still deeply love him. These grown men and women became childlike when they described him, it was unlike anything I have ever seen.

I loved the pacing of the series. As a viewer, I was annoyed that no one seemed to have the complete truth. There does not seem to be an unbiased participant of the events that can accurately share what happened. That's exactly why I feel that the content of Wild Wild Country is morally ambiguous. I recommend the series and I hope that this review was helpful.

You will most likely get pretty angry watching this lengthy documentary.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 30 June 2019]

This film is about a notorious cult that was in Oregon for about four years in the early to mid-1980s. While at first they seemed pretty benign, over time they showed themselves to be very dangerous...with some attempted murders and dozens of other crimes which were committed by the leaders of this weird group.

"Wild Wild Country" is a very good documentary....though it's far from a great one for several reasons. First, it's well over six hours long...and could have easily been edited down to four hours without missing a thing. Second, because there is no narration and folks are just allowed to talk and talk, many of the lies and half-truths some of the folks say are never challenged in any way. So, when you research and find out more, you are left very angry because so many lied and used the documentary to sell books or get attention. In other words, some VERY bad and evil people used this film to gain money and attention....and ALL of them minimized and distorted their own actions...their own CRIMINAL actions! They really needed a rebuttal portion at the end...and I felt betrayed, in a way, for the film NOT exposing all these lies and distortions by the cult leaders as well as many important negative details about the cult. For these reasons, I was left a bit frustrated with the film....though it is worth seeing...particularly if you are interested in learning more about destructive cults.

Quite interesting but seemingly biased in its omissions

[boris-110 · 5/10 · 19 December 2018]

Very interesting story but too centred on the power and guilt of the "1st officer" and failed to question the power and guilt of the leader. How wonderful the producers should get this commissioned as a 6 part documentary series and how unforgivable that they should then fail to give any "in depth" investigation. So many shocking things are mentioned in passing and then glossed over - the more I watched the more I thought the lawyer for the commune had to be a co-producer. The ending is again glossed over - the "cult" had communes all over the world operating without the leader residing with them so why did the commune collapse in the USA when he was deported - was it not because he ran away with all the money and it couldn't maintain itself financially. No in-depth explanation of the massive immigration fraud no in-depth investigation of the financial side of the organisation no interviews with disillusioned commune members no questioning of how this intelligent all seeing guru didn't know what his personal right hand woman was doing in his name and to just say he was taking drugs and that they drugged the homeless people as a quick aside in the story left me thinking someone is deliberately not giving more investigative detail here. Oh and the lawyers last quote - I'm writing the definitive book on what happened- thanks for the 6 hour advert for that !

Fascinating

[Wanderlust024 · 8/10 · 18 March 2018]

I found Wild Wild Country to be a fascinating documentary. It had so many shocking twists and turns, it kept me riveted. Prior to watching this documentary, I had never heard of Bhagwan or the Rajneeshees. The events that transpired are almost shocking enough to be fictional.

The six-part documentary details the story of a group of disciples led by an Indian guru named Bhagwan. It follows their move from India to a rural area in Oregon where they founded a town called Rajneeshpuram. I felt that Bhagwan remained something of an enigma throughout the documentary. Although they did share footage of him, I didn't really get a sense of what his disciples saw in him to cause their devotion. His religious movement seemed to be founded on a philosophy of meditation (although I meditate and so would not call what they were doing meditation, by the way), valuing material wealth, and sexual freedom as a road to harmony. I really did not get Bhagwan's appeal.

That said, the documentary did an amazing job of sharing the progression of Bhagwan's movement over time, the perspectives of three of his disciples, and the impact of the Rajneeshees on the existing community of Antelope, Oregon. I thought the documentary did a fair job of presenting both sides regarding the collision of interests between the Antelope community members and the Rajneeshees. I found it interesting to see how two opposing groups can view the same events with such sharp disparity. As well, it was interesting to see how the Rajneeshees' desire to create a community of peace, love, and acceptance lead to behaviour which embodies the opposite of those goals. Without meaning to offend anyone, from my perspective, it was also such an interesting opportunity to see what people are willing to buy into in order to gain a sense of belonging and meaning in their lives.

Every opera ends in tragedy, but the parts in between are just so beautiful

[vz909 · 10/10 · 31 March 2018]

Every once in a while you'll come across a story so full of rich details, wonderful characters, and an extraordinary atmosphere, this is one of those.

I have read Osho's books and tried his meditations and have found him full of wisdom to offer but never knew much about his personal life nor this grand experiment that took place in Oregon. I just randomly clicked on this title on Netflix and here is a chapter of Osho's life that captivated me from beginning to end.

You can frame this story in terms of a Master and his relationship to his main disciple Sheela, or a small town's struggle against a massive foreign ideology, or old faith vs. new faith, and it's even reminiscent of the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Whichever way you look at it, it encapsulates the full spectrum of human experience from deep fear to unconditional love. At times you'll see the same bigotry and self-righteousness of the small town folks in yourself and everyone you know then you'll realize they're not the bad guys, they are just simple people like all of us. And at other times you'll see the Messiah complex and power hungriness of the top Sannyasins in yourself as well and realize that they're not in the wrong either, they just wanted to find a paradise and live the way they wanted to. At the end of the day, all characters in the story are redeemed and were just playing out their part in this grand legacy and what a beautiful legacy it was. Sheela may be a deeply faulted character but she was right in saying the whole thing was like an opera- a tragedy in the end but oh so many beautiful moving parts in between.

Great documentary and an incredibly sad story

[Graf_Z · 10/10 · 30 April 2018]

It's kinda funny in a perverse way how people of Antelope were railing about their way of life being destroyed by newcomers without even thinking how Americans destroyed the way of life of Native Americans. The Mayflower mentality, as Sheila put it. If only those hicks had the sense of just leaving them alone and letting those people live their lives the way they wanted, there wouldn't have been any conflict. They never wanted to take over anything, yet every step of the way they were confronted by bigots and racists. And when patience doesn't work, when love doesn't work, when nothing works, what do you do? You devolve into chaos and violence. Very predictable and tragic.

It was really hard for me to watch sometimes, because racism and hatred won, the old white men and women in glasses won, and they keep winning, simply by dragging everyone into their gutter. And an idealistic movement of extreme individualists lost. It was painted as a cult for years and eventually became one. It was painted as a public menace for years and eventually became one. I'm sure it wasn't perfect, and I'm sure it was no paradise on earth, and I'm sure it would have eventually collapsed anyway, as all idealistic constructs do, but why all the hatred? Why do these morality-obsessed people have this insatiable need to tell others how to live their lives and destroy those lives if they don't get their way? Those are rhetorical questions, and the scariest part is that they are as relevant today as they were almost 40 years ago.

A film that provokes reflection . . .

[caa-03032 · 10/10 · 4 April 2018]

A remarkable and amazing story. It's interesting to see how hate was met with hate, anger with anger, violence with violence, and the whole thing came tumbling down. Antelope residents got their town back, but it wasn't the same anymore.

Compare this story to the story of Fairfield, Iowa where many of the same kind of emotions and devotion were present, in this case toward Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of Maharishi University of Management that was once Parsons College. The difference was that in Fairfield, the "Ru's" (short for "gurus") as the TM people were called, met hate with love, anger with acceptance, and chose to participate with the original Fairfield residents in creating a better community. As a result, the violence and hatred that was present in the early days in Fairfield has disappeared. The Mayor is a "Ru" who has served nine terms and been re-elected by both non-TMers as well as devoted TM practitioners.

For whatever reasons, Osho did not culture that quality of love and acceptance among his followers and so Rajneeshpuram became a Christian country club for teenagers rather than a monument to the power of his teachings.

Seems to me there's a lesson there for all of us. How will we choose to respond to those who criticize us or oppose us?

Way too long and slow

[jaanalotsman · 6/10 · 26 July 2020]

Interesting story but so dragged out, it was painful. It would've been better a 2-hour film. Personally got really bad energy from the characters too by the end. I just wanted to stop watching it.

The crazy and amazing American way

[JonanthanNewOrleans · 10/10 · 3 May 2018]

How a group of people can totally legally and while respecting the constitution and law create a new town with its own name, mayor, armed police, school, etc.. and how because those people live a different way of life with different beliefs (still 100% abiding law citizens) the federal government can by stepping on the law of freedom of individuals/religion and by bending the constitution dismantle this town and prosecute its people.

Really well made and really fascinating documentary about something truly unique.

Had there not been so much real original footage from that time I personally would have not believe this story because of its huge scale and number of people involved.

10/10

Unnecessarily long

[belizec · 7/10 · 17 September 2021]

I was very interested in the documentary because I wanted to get some background for Osho's books, which are still quite popular among some of the people I know.

The main thing I like is that, unlike a lot of other documentaries, it doesn't subconsciously make you take sides by the end of it.

However, it was so unnecessarily long, I kept questioning myself throughout whether I had that much spare time for such a topic. It took me more than a month to finish it, and I still have a feeling of time wasted.

I also can't help to think that some of the important factors were intentionally left out of focus, and they're mostly money-related. Did they try to present it from an angle of an average member? Maybe, felt like that to me.

Breathtaking!

[maros612 · 9/10 · 31 December 2018]

Fascinating documentary series about extraordinary movement of people, interested in finding the meaning in spiritual teachings of Indian Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (who adopted name Osho at the end of his life). I have not read anything he was teaching, but it is apparent his "magical" presence made people fell in love with him. His Oregon-based community was a mixture of a post-hippie ideals of love and freedom and on the other hand, a power-hungry fraction within, which wanted to rule, take-over, dominate, even if it involved crossing the line of law and breaching the utmost ethical principles. The power dynamic and the cash flow is not fully apparent, but the documentary still goes deep. Obviously, there is a lot of fog and grey area, esp. in regard to possibly shady conduct within the community life, as well as on the side of the state, determined to bring the community down, which at times resembled more of a war on beliefs and way on life than solely the enforcement of the law. There are, however, covered many facts and first-hand accounts and the involved individuals uncover their personalities very thoroughly. The vision of building a different and better community was interesting as well as the the enormous power and workforce this group had. As the story unveils, one would expect that American people would be generally interested foremost in enforcing justice while upholding the constitution and principles of freedom, it's not a case at all, at least not there and then. Long before any actual concerns appeared, the attempt to block, expel or destroy this community was fueled by a simple bigotry, hatred and jealousy - mostly due to practices of "free love" and wealth this group had accumulated. Regardless of anything else, this strange interest of traditionalist, small-town Christians in other people's sex lives is truly repulsive and despicable, but well-known nowadays and throughout the history. But this is by far not only about that. Even though I loved the series, I believe it could be little more factual. I've spent long hours researching the matters and events afterwards, and learnt so much more, which was not included in the documentary. But the personal accounts of the people involved, which this series is based upon, are indeed very valuable and interesting.

Great subject but not in depth enough

[xhexah · 7/10 · 1 January 2019]

I loved the subject content, and really could not believe I had not heard about this before. But I did not like how it glossed over subjects, missed information entirely and didn't look into osho enough, it definitely felt biased towards rajneeshes but I loved the interviews and seeing how some people still believed, they definitely had that glassy eyed look and I was fascinated watching them still in total awe of osho and I'm still in awe as to why they can't see the truth.

So 50/50 in my opinion, great subject matter and interesting interviews but for 6 episodes it should have been more in depth.

It's all about where you put the emphasis

[totally-bogus · 4/10 · 28 March 2018]

I can see this story from multiple angles. I grew up 30 miles from the site of the main story, and I know the people well. I was also a classic 60s hippie who lived in comunes which were despised by the locals. One thing I saw first hand which was given remarkably little attention was the was the way that some "spiritual" personality centered communes/cults were essentially ponzi schemes that bled money from rich and powerful yet disaffected members of the privileged class. The cult in this documentary fits that model perfectly. It's remarkable how the filmmakers ignored the core nature of the cult in order to fit a clichéd story arc of the supposed rise of a pure and innocent spiritual movement and ultimate downfall due to supposedly closed minded and hypocritical townsfolk and a few ruthless individuals driven by devotion to the cult. Sorry, but that's not the reality. The Rajneeshees were essentially a criminal enterprise from the beginning in India, accruing wealth through a web of financial crimes. That's the entire reason they fled to America. Yet there is barely a mention, because that would destroy the "pure beginning" the filmmakers wanted to build a tragedy from. Also going with zero notice was the fact that this was a classic case of class conflict. The locals were presented as some kind of entrenched power structure oppressing the poor cultists. That stands truth on its head. The locals were the modern rural poor, at the bottom of the economic ladder. The cultists were wealthy beyond the dreams of any locals, having gotten rich in the world of high finance, corporate law, etc. They thought they could move in and crush the local population through a combination economic power and crude bullying and intimidation. Imagine for a second that instead of moving into a poor white town, they had moved into a town of equally poor black or Hispanic residents. Sympathies are a little different, yes? There is at least one, still-underplayed, element of the story that shows the true colors of the cultists. That element is the cynical manipulation and ultimate betrayal of the homeless people brought in as cheap manual labor for the privileged elite of the cult, and as ballot box stuffers. Once that plan failed, the street people were heartlessly abandoned. All in all, the filmmakers failed by ignoring cold reality to fit a fairy tale narrative.

No way! that was my reaction

[Ganbat · 10/10 · 26 March 2018]

I take my hat off to Netflix, it was brilliant and unbiased documentary ever. I was literally on the edge of my seat and was finding myself saying What!!! No way! almost every 10 minutes.

It was 6 parts series and i watched it spending my whole day. Don't start at night otherwise there is not stop.

After finishing the documentary. i had unexplainable feeling of longing and felt relieved but same-time was little sad it was finished.

Must watch! I do not give 10 stars easily.