Netflix's new psychological thriller Unchosen follows a young woman in a reclusive British cult who begins to question her life after a chance encounter with an outsider. The six-part series, starring Molly Windsor and Asa Butterfield, centres on the fictional Fellowship of the Divine, where technology is banned, men and women are separated, and outside literature is prohibited. While the cult is invented, the show is grounded in the real experiences of people who have lived in genuine groups across the UK.
Writer Julie Gearey based the story on research into actual British cults, interviewing former members who were often left traumatised. Gearey said it was important to reassure those she spoke to that they would not be recognised in the drama, and that their emotional experiences would be reflected as truthfully as possible. Director Jim Loach, who previously worked on Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, said he was drawn to the project by its authenticity, noting that Gearey grew up in an area where some schoolmates came from cult families.
One true story that particularly resonated with Loach involved a woman who had been expelled from a religious sect but still missed it. She was forbidden from returning to the meeting hall, so she sat outside to listen to the singing, unseen by other members. Loach also said that some former members spoke about positive elements such as community and solidarity, but that these were balanced against unchecked power, patriarchy and a closed society where asking questions was not allowed.
The series includes a harrowing scene where Rosie's brother-in-law is locked in a room and waterboarded with whiskey after being caught with a mobile device. Loach revealed that while this specific incident did not happen to a real cult member, former worshippers reported that alcohol was sometimes used in high-pressure prayer meetings and during disciplinary visits by cult Elders. He described filming the scene as intense, and noted the challenge of understanding why characters believed they were getting closer to God.
Unchosen highlights that cults are not solely an American phenomenon. Gearey found that more than 2,000 cults are operating in the UK. Real examples include the Lighthouse life-coaching group, whose members were sentenced to community service in February this year for harassing a BBC journalist, and the disbanded Jesus Army, where an investigation found that one in six children had been sexually abused.
