15 Best Movies About Cults

A directionless young man by the name of Danny is drawn into a religious cult by a mysterious girl. There, he begins to find a purpose and grows closer to the girl while following the instructions of the cult's leader.

Split Image is a nuanced take on a cult that does its best not to paint either side as good or evil. Peter Fonda plays the enigmatic cult leader Neil Kirklander, who smothers Danny with a mantra of love and loyalty. Fonda makes for a great messianic figure who all the members of the cult look to.

James Woods enters the picture as a professional deprogrammer and his slimy and abhorrent persona is a great contrast to Fonda. Woods' role is to kidnap Danny and reintroduce him to society, freeing him of any brainwashing he has experienced.

Split Image deals with the ethical questions around deprogramming and whether those indoctrinated are better left alone. It's a well developed exploration.

Spit Image never takes sides and shows the world as morally grey and that is one of its greatest strengths.