Review: HOLY HELL, Inside A Cult Without Knowing It

From his perspective, Will Allen loved what he was seeing.

A filmmaker from childhood, recent college graduate Allen was ordered to leave his family home after he came out to his mother as gay. In 1985, he fell in with a group of people who had coalesced around a spiritual leader known as Michele. Soon, Allen was happily adhering to a way of life that initially felt very fulfilling.

It's at this point in Holy Hell, Allen's documentary about his experiences with the group, that Allen notes he spent 22 years following Michele. The Buddafield, as the group was known, was never terribly large; membership ranged from 120 to 200, according to the film. Growing the membership was not as important as following the multi-pronged philosophy espoused by Michele, centering on physical fitness, healthy living, and service to others.

Evidently, Michele did not advocate devotion to any particular religious or spiritual texts, though he strongly discouraged any outside influences (television, for example). The film refrains from specific financial discussions; it appears that most members worked outside the compound in West Hollywood, California, where Michele and some members lived, and happily contributed whatever might be needed, pitching in financially and otherwise.

Everyone in the Buddafield appeared to be content. No one suspected they were in a cult. Or so they said.

Allen tells the story in chronological order, narrated by himself. He features present-day interviews with fellow longtime group members and clearly details the passage of years inside the Buddafield. Because Allen was a natural filmmaker and a loyal member, he documented the group from an intimate point of view. He and his fellow believers felt a close friendship, as though they were members of the same family, and drew comfort and support that got them through difficult times.

Yet cracks in their belief system began to appear within a few years, primarily because the charismatic, mysterious Michele began taking the freely-offered devotion of his followers to heart. And no wonder: as one of the interview subjects notes, if dozens of people praise you without question for years, that's gotta have an effect. Add to that Michele's training as a hypnotherapist, and it seems that he was able to exude an outsized, insidious influence upon his followers.

From the outside, it may seem easy to criticize the followers. But their devotion to each other, and to their beliefs, and most of all to Michele, took years to cultivate. In essence, they were part of a cult without realizing it. From their perspective, it seemed wonderful, until it didn't.

Will Allen's documentary sometimes feels like it's dawdling, especially since he himself spoils the timing at the outset. We know when the end is coming and it's easy to become impatient while waiting. That being said, it would have been helpful to have more specific information about the group; for all the fascinating 'insider' footage, a bit more 'outsider' perspective would have been valuable.

Holy Hell proceeds at its own, sometimes self-indulgent, pace. That does not diminish the overall impact of its melancholy warning message.

The film opens in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York on Friday, May 27. For more information, visit the official site and the official Facebook page.