Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults is an American documentary television miniseries revolving around the religious group Heaven's Gate and its leader Marshall Applewhite. It consists of four episodes and premiered on December 3, 2020, on HBO Max.[1]
| Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Directed by | Clay Tweel |
| Music by | David Wingo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Mark McCune |
| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 49-52 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | HBO Max |
| Release | December 3, 2020 |
Synopsis
editTold through the eyes of former members and loved ones of former members, the series follows Heaven's Gate and its leader Marshall Applewhite.[2] The series included never before seen footage of the cult.[3]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title [4] | Directed by | Original air date [4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Awakening" | Clay Tweel | December 3, 2020 | |
|
Marshall Applewhite teaches his followers in Waldport, Oregon that the bodies of his followers can be transformed into perfected space aliens. This was called the "Next Level." Reza Aslan characterizes Heaven's Gate as a millenarian group. Chariots of the Gods? had gained much publicity in the 1960s. | ||||
| 2 | "The Chrysalis" | Clay Tweel | December 3, 2020 | |
| 3 | "The Second Harvest" | Clay Tweel | December 3, 2020 | |
| 4 | "The Exit" | Clay Tweel | December 3, 2020 | |
Production
editIn October 2019, it was announced HBO Max had greenlit a 4-part documentary series following the Heaven's Gate with Clay Tweel set to direct and executive produce with CNN Original Studios and Stitcher set to produce the series.[5]
Reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 86%.[6] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]
See also
edit- Waco - 2018 miniseries about the 1993 Waco siege involving the Branch Davidians and their leader David Koresh
References
edit- ^ Hersko, Tyler (November 24, 2020). "'Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults' Trailer: HBO Max Documentary Examines Infamous UFO Cult". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "HBO Max Debuts Official Trailer for Max Original "Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults," Premiering Dec. 3". WarnerMedia. November 24, 2020. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ Cobb, Kayla (November 24, 2020). "HBO Max's 'Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults' Gets a Trailer and Release Date". Decider. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ White, Peter (October 24, 2019). "HBO Max Orders Heaven's Gate Suicide Doc & Alex Gibney-Produced Series On Fame As Part Of Debut CNN Slate". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.