AUM: The Cult at the End of the World

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AUM: The Cult at the End of the World

2025

1h 46m

Documentary

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

History

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Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

29 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

The shocking story of Aum Shinrikyo, the doomsday cult that unleashed a deadly nerve gas in Tokyo's subway system in 1995. Founded by disillusioned yoga teacher Shoko Asahara, Aum transformed into a terrorist organization while Japan's police and media turned a blind eye. Featuring rare archival footage and an interview with one of Asahara's former high-ranking disciples.

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Critics Consensus

AUM: The Cult at the End of the World offers a tense, carefully assembled parable of radicalization and bureaucratic failure, though it remains ultimately superficial in explaining the deeper appeal of cults.

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

Mar 28, 2025

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

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Jessica Kiang

Variety

Jan 26, 2023

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

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Nick Schager

The Daily Beast

Jan 24, 2023

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

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Kent Hill

Film Threat

May 9, 2025

7.5/10

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.

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Jana Monji

Age of the Geek

Apr 11, 2025

2/5

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.

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Stephen Silver

The SS Ben Hecht

Apr 4, 2025

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

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Barbwire N

@BNoose Dec 8, 2025

A interesting account into a Japanese, cult, serial killer/attempted mass murderer - with enough poor victims and a background which kind of leads into the foreground and an ending fact that is SiC. The Villan can be the hero, the most hated man in Japan looks like changed and remorseful to me.

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Ben Braun

Director

Chiaki Yanagimoto

Director

Ben Braun

Screenwriter

Chiaki Yanagimoto

Screenwriter

Ben Braun

Producer

Chiaki Yanagimoto

Producer

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Synopsis

The shocking story of Aum Shinrikyo, the doomsday cult that unleashed a deadly nerve gas in Tokyo's subway system in 1995. Founded by disillusioned yoga teacher Shoko Asahara, Aum transformed into a terrorist organization while Japan's police and media turned a blind eye. Featuring rare archival footage and an interview with one of Asahara's former high-ranking disciples.

Director: Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto
Producer: Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto, Dan Braun, Josh Braun, Rick Brookwell
Screenwriter: Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: Submarine Deluxe
Genre: Documentary, Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Crime, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 19, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 28, 2025
Runtime: 1h 46m

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