The Clearing

There is a very special, very excruciating place reserved in hell for those that run abusive cults, they are the utmost repulsive nadir of human weakness in the collective consciousness. The Clearing is a mostly fictitious, brilliantly complex dramatic thriller with a narrative backbone that is based on the real life Australian cult dubbed 'The Family', raided and disbanded decades ago. This utterly compelling eight episode journey examines several characters revolving around the operation and takedown of a nasty cult called The Kindred, owned, operated and presided over with treacly malevolence by false prophet guru Adrienne 'Maitreya' Beaufort, played with career best intensity by Miranda Otto. We see in non linear form how she came to power using dime-store psychological manipulation, unconventional metaphysical gibberish and thinly veiled psychosis masquerading as pied piper charisma. Woven in is the present day story of Freya (Teresa Palmer, also giving career best work), a girl who was rescued during the eventual raid and who now lives in constant fear and traumatic paranoia as she tries to shield her own children from the cult's temporarily dormant yet still permeating influence. The story is a multi timeline narrative told deliberately out of order, no doubt to emulate for a viewer how disorienting it must feel to find one's life embroiled in such a long, punishing, cruel ordeal. This may not look like much from the outside or be getting the rave reviews it should be but it's some of the best television I've seen this year, a structurally complex, emotionally intelligent, consistently unpredictable piece of work with terrific performances, eerie music and a mature, creepy, empathetic script. Streaming now on Disney Plus.

I've never even used the word superb before but it's just so fitting here! The acting was incredible, especially by the girl playing young Amy, Theresa Palmer and the actor playing Saad.

The fact that this is based on a real cult is what got me to watch it, as I've read a lot about that cult over the years. It shocks me to no end that that woman was never brought to justice, but anyway back to the show...yes it was a slow burn but it was still gripping and entertaining enough for me to keep watching. I watched it over 2 days. If you don't like slow dramas then don't watch this. If you're ok with setting the scene, slow paced mysteries then this is for you. Some twists and turns and enough different from the 'true' story to create suspense.

I randomly came across this own Hulu. I've always been drawn to the subject of cults. Here we have a unique premised as the leader is a woman. She has bleach blond hair and expect all her "children" to appear in her image.

The opening starts with a kidnapping. We see how the cult tries to indoctrinate her but she's not having it. This causes all sorts of issues. Another thread of the series is a single mother, who after hearing about the kidnapping is terrified for her son, named Bilbo*. It's clear there must be a connection between her and the cult. I look forward to finding out more.

*I love the Bilbo name, which I assume is from "The Hobbit". Miranda Otto from The Lord of the Rings has a major role here adding another Tolkien connection.

It is obvious where this story has been taken from in recent Aussie history and it throws down a real challenge when bringing it to a streaming series, but in the steady hands of Grace Otto it becomes compelling viewing.

There is a stellar cast involved but it must be said that if this was a standalone movie, Miranda Otto as Adrienne Beaufort, gives an Oscar worthy performance and seems to inhabit her character as it evolves with each episode. Teresa Palmer is exceptional as the now grown Amy and her character embodies all that you would expect from someone who had been raised in such a cult until the age of thirteen and still maintain such an odd connection with its' leader as an adult. Julia Savage as the young Amy is mesmerizing and someone to watch as is Lily LaTrobe playing Asha.

For me, Guy Pearce is not stretched particularly in his role but Kate Mulvany is a powerhouse in her character whilst Anna Lise Phillips and Erroll Shand both reveal the behaviour that is so commonly observed in people caught under the spell of a cult leader.

I was initially hesitant to watch this when it was first advertised as the thought of watching, however potentially fictitious, a variation of what had been revealed on investigative programmes years ago was not all that appealing, but it deals with a subject that we should be made aware of and is exceptional viewing.

I question the wisdom of watching this when I'm about to have a baby, but if there's one thing I can't resist it's a creepy cult thriller. It was unnerving to watch the events of this story unfold, particularly without having read the book beforehand. Given that the tale is based on real life Aussie cult group The Family, there's already a sense of foreboding as you start the first episode. This sense increases going into the second episode, and you can't help but feel concerned at what might happen next. Theresa Palmer does an excellent job of showcasing the past and present trauma of her character, and Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce play equally disturbed characters. But the true heroes of this series are Julia Savage and Lily LaTorre, who sent chills down my spine with their respective performances. With an 8 episode first season, I suspect The Clearing is only going to ramp up with each episode. Fans of this genre should give this show a watch, it's cast well, has an ominous soundtrack, perturbing visual effects and I'm already itching to see where the story takes us and what secrets it will reveal along the way.

-by Jayne @WatchItWombat.