Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults

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By John Sapienza

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Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults is an HBO Max original mini-series documentary that consists of 4 episodes that premiered on the platform in early December. The show dives into the Heaven’s Gate cult from its inception in 1975 to its infamous mass suicide in 1997. Through interviews with former members of Heaven’s Gate, the viewer is able to get an interior perspective on the inner workings of the cult while getting the perspective of deceased members’ families as they discuss their thoughts on their loved one being affiliated with the cult. The docu-series also interviews sociologists as they discuss their feelings on Heaven’s Gate and what drives people to join cults of this caliber. The series tends to focus on the two leaders of Heavens’ Gate Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, who went by the names Do and Ti respectfully. The viewers see how they were able to influence people to join their following.

Throughout the 4 episodes, I thought the series does a great job of pacing the viewer on Heaven’s Gate’s full story. Each episode focuses on one section of the cult’s 22-year run and gives the viewer extensive detail on what went on within the cult during that particular time. There were many different parts of the series that I found quite pleasant. One interesting aspect of the series that I thought enhanced the experience is the use of animation and illustrations. There were many times when one of the former members was explaining a viewpoint of Heaven’s Gate’s teachings and animations were used to help the viewer understand what they meant. Another one of my favorite parts of the miniseries is when the viewer learns about the case of a woman whose parents were apart of the cult and left her at a young age. We see how she felt when they left her and when they tragically committed suicide. These gripping, emotional interviews really humanize the cult members.

What really steals the show in my opinion is Frank and Sawyer who are the former member interviewees. After leaving the cult, they both have separate viewpoints on it. Frank is ready to move on and attempt to live a normal life after spending many years in the cult. His story is extremely fascinating because he went into the cult with a girlfriend. We see at the end how that relationship tragically ended. On the other hand, Sawyer takes the position of regret and how he wishes he stayed with the cult. Sawyer does not want to move on with his life and is stuck in the past. Both of these contrasting interviews really provide the viewer with captivating insight into the cult

Overall Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults was a very enjoyable watch. The runtime of the episodes made it feel like a long movie as I watched it all in one sitting. The series is very fun and informative on one of the most infamous events in history as the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide is the largest on United States soil. This is why it is also slightly painful to endure the last episode detailing the event. I would recommend watching this series to anyone who likes sci-fi or true crime movies.