Holy Hell

Play trailer

Holy Hell

Released May 27, 2016

1h 43m

Documentary

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

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

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

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

Read all reviews

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

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

Audience Member

Kind of brutal to watch at times.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/17/18

Full Review

Audience Member

This wasnt like these people were on some acid trip or 19 or 20yrs old, these people were not victims, just dumb and stupid. they were all adults and knew what they were doing, I think these people love playing victim. I dont feel sorry for these adults for bwing that dumb to think this man was a guru or even God. it was funny to watch how dumb people can be.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

William Francesco Allen

Director

David Christopher

Actor

William Francesco Allen

Actor

Phillipe Coquet

Actor

Julian Goldstein

Actor

Dimitrius Pulido

Actor

Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago

100%

%

Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago

Watchlist

Rewind

100%

96%

Rewind

Watchlist

The Seventh Fire

92%

53%

The Seventh Fire

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Seventh Fire

Bitter Honey

67%

%

Bitter Honey

Watchlist

That Way Madness Lies ...

100%

%

That Way Madness Lies ...

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics’ Choice Documentary Winners: O.J.: Made In America and 13th Win Top Awards

Inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Award Nominations Revealed

X-Men: Apocalypse Is a So-So Superhero Slugfest

View more photos

Synopsis

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

Director: William Francesco Allen
Producer: William Francesco Allen, Alexandra Johnes, Tracey Harnish
Distributor: FilmRise
Production Co: Whitewater Films, Very Special Projects, WRA Productions
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
Runtime: 1h 43m

Most Popular at Home Now