AUM: The Cult at the End of the World

A far-ranging but only fitfully revealing investigation into how Aum came into being and, chillingly, whether or not it ever really went away.

An incisive look at the inner workings—and rise to prominence—of Aum Shinrikyo.

A sharpened, engrossing warning against false prophets that never feels heavy-handed

Especially in its homestretch, I felt like the film was awash in hastily defended conclusions and bad choices involving at least one key interview subject.

Frustratingly shortsighted about the societal conditions that allowed Aum to thrive in public for so long.

Where less adept filmmakers might have resorted to shock value or bone-dry moralizing, the team behind “AUM” works hard to understand one cult in all its dazzling, horrifying complexity.

[T]his documentary reaches slightly deeper than just detailing the terrorist attack and the decade-long history of criminal activity that led to it.

The fearsome cult at the film's center is cast in an appropriately menacing light, even if the documentary itself is far from groundbreaking in its formalism.

Most cults share a similar story. They are small, keep to themselves, and are only heard of after some horrific event. The Cult at the End of the World documents how Aum were unlike others.

Mildly engaging, unfocused and shallow.