AUM: The Cult at the End of the World
A chilling documentary account of Aum Shinrikyo's rise from apocalyptic spiritual movement to perpetrator of a deadly Tokyo subway attack.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- disturbing
- foreboding
- sober
- true crime viewing
- historical documentary night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the documentary as a solid and compelling account of Aum Shinrikyo and the violence it unleashed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film centers on Aum Shinrikyo's beliefs, leadership, transformation, and terrorist violence.
The cast consists of archival figures including Shoko Asahara, Takeshi Kitano, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump, supporting a history assembled through recorded material.
Aum's leader and apocalyptic worldview are directly connected to the nerve-gas attack on Tokyo's subway system.
The central event is the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack and its place in modern Japanese public memory.
Films like AUM: The Cult at the End of the World, and why
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
shared true-crime documentary focus on the formation, beliefs, leadership, and destructive consequences of a closed religious group
Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief
shared documentary examination of charismatic authority, institutionalized belief, and abuse within a controversial spiritual movement
The Act of Killing
shared investigative reconstruction of ideological extremism, violence, and the social forces surrounding a notorious criminal case
Movie Details
- Directors
- Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto
- Release Date
- 2025-03-19
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (1)
Cast
- Shoko Asahara
- Takeshi Kitano
- Mikhail Gorbachev
- Ronald Reagan
- Donald Trump
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is AUM: The Cult at the End of the World about?
- A chilling documentary account of Aum Shinrikyo's rise from apocalyptic spiritual movement to perpetrator of a deadly Tokyo subway attack.
- What is AUM: The Cult at the End of the World like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of AUM: The Cult at the End of the World as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is AUM: The Cult at the End of the World violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in AUM: The Cult at the End of the World as moderate.
- What did critics think of AUM: The Cult at the End of the World?
- Critics broadly regard the documentary as a solid and compelling account of Aum Shinrikyo and the violence it unleashed.
- Which films are like AUM: The Cult at the End of the World?
- Films with a similar feel include Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief, and The Act of Killing.
- How long is AUM: The Cult at the End of the World?
- AUM: The Cult at the End of the World runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch AUM: The Cult at the End of the World?
- In United States, AUM: The Cult at the End of the World is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
