Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Dancing for the Devil:

Now we really need to outlaw TikTok.

Quick synopsis:

The story of a cult which gained prominence as a studio for TikTok dancers.

Fact for Non-History People:

TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users globally.

Fact for History Nerds:

There are over 915.9 million posts on TikTok labeled for dancing. I hate myself for having to look that up.

My Take on Dancing for the Devil:

I have seen some weird cults in my time. However, Netflix’s Dancing with the Devil is the first which is centered around dancing and TikTok. The documentary follows some of the people who left the cult for various reasons and, dear lord, this whole thing is so weird.

It turns out, this preacher had started a cult before which kind of fell apart. He gained back followers when he started producing TikTok dance videos and this all sounds made up, but I swear it happened. He is also the least impressive cult leader ever. Usually, you hear them talk and think, “Well, I can tell he’s nuts, but at least if you don’t pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth, he sounds convincing.” This dude will not be able to finish a thought and just spout off hallelujah or praise God. It is darkly hilarious.

There are three episodes, and they are of varying quality. Episode 1 focuses on a specific cult member and her family. The second episode expands the scope and fills in the background of the “church.” Episode 3 is supposed to wrap everything up, but it is badly paced and plotted. This is not among the best Netflix has to offer, but it is not bad, either. People will be talking about it.

Verdict:

Uneven, but worth the watch. Watch it here!