Jared Leto is in the news a lot right now for his portrayal of The Joker in the upcoming DC/WB film, Suicide Squad, but the actor is doing more than painting his face white and sending used condoms to his fellow cast members. It turns out that he’s been working on producing the new cult documentary, ‘Holy Hell.’ The film is directed by Will Allen, and in it, he tells of his personal experiences in the Buddhafield cult, which he joined in the 80’s.
In the trailer, several former members of the group seem to chronicle the happy beginnings of their group through what appears to be a spiral into madness by their leader (who was actually just a failed gay porn star and hypnotherapist) that led to rape, forced abortions, and multiple murder plots.
The documentary first screened at Sundance and it is set to hit theaters (and probably VOD) on May 27.
In 1985, Will Allen became a member of The Buddhafield, a Los Angeles area spiritual group. A recent film school graduate, Allen began to chronicle the group’s activities that centered on their leader, a mysterious individual they called The Teacher, or Michel. Over time, the group’s dark side began to surface, until finally, a shocking allegation against The Teacher tore the group apart – all in front of Allen’s camera. This incredible archive of video footage became the basis for HOLY HELL.
Now, for the first time since he left the group, Allen turns the camera on himself and asks fellow ex-cult members to come to terms with their past and the unbelievable deceit they experienced.