Holy Hell

Released May 27, 2016

1 hr. 43 min.

Documentary

Drama

List

73%

37 Reviews

Tomatometer

72%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Filmmaker Will Allen documents the time he spent with the Buddhafield, a Los Angeles spiritual group.

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Audience Member

Nut job at its finest! I think the wisest thing said in the film was, "there's an unhealthy relationship between highly codependent people and wild narcissists". Sad story of manipulation.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

william k

A bit haphazard documentary, maybe due to the fact that the director was an ex-member (and its "propaganda minister"), does give a glimpse into the surreal cult community, but also gives room to those who still defend its existence.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Joel C

I love gullible sheeple, they set the stage for maniac leaders to do outrageous s**t lol.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/16/21

Full Review

Audience Member

So fascinating how far people with low self esteem go to be loved and accepted. A case that sadly will repeat time and time again. Great documentary with powerful message

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wow. This documentary, told from the unique, gentle, compassionate view of someone who endured the experience alongside the brave people in front of the camera sharing their own stories, is truly something remarkable. It is one of a kind. It effectively takes you through the journey of a group of people who had such a beautiful connection and community, that was ravaged by something, someone so evil over such a long period of time. It somehow showcases the positive alongside the negative in a way that is deeply touching. Congratulations to Allen and to all those who took part.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Absolutely fascinating and completely disturbing.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/02/18

Full Review

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William Francesco Allen

Director

David Christopher

Actor

William Francesco Allen

Actor

Phillipe Coquet

Actor

Julian Goldstein

Actor

Dimitrius Pulido

Actor

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Kristen Lopez

Spectrum Culture

If you're already fascinated by the world of religious fanaticism, Holy Hell will leave you captivated.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 20, 2017

Full Review

Alison Willmore

BuzzFeed News

Holy Hell, raw and anguished, is not just a story about a terrible breach of trust, but one of loss, its creator mourning the relationships he had.

Jun 3, 2016

Full Review

Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

"Holy Hell" should have dug a lot deeper and told its story with a lot more finesse. What happened? Maybe, after all these years, Allen was still too close to his subject?

Rated: 1.5/4

May 28, 2016

Full Review

Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

Holy Hell is competently/unimaginatively made, with lots of talking head testimony and a hamfisted score to hammer home the point.

Jan 18, 2023

Full Review

Stephen Saito

Moveable Fest

Though the filmmaker may ask himself whether enduring the personal nightmare of collecting footage for "Holy Hell" was worth it, it's certainly rewarding for an audience.

Feb 6, 2019

Full Review

Morgan Rojas

Cinemacy

A creepy but fascinating watch and a good addition to the ever-growing genre of "religious cult" films.

Feb 6, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Will Allen documents the time he spent with the Buddhafield, a Los Angeles spiritual group.

Director: William Francesco Allen
Executive Producer: Cheryl Wheeler Sanders, Jared Leto, Michael Donaldson, Julian Goldstein
Distributor: FilmRise
Production Co: WRA Productions, Whitewater Films, Very Special Projects
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $21.5K

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