Holy Hell, an inside look at a West Hollywood cult, has been acquired by FilmRise for a US theatrical release on 20 May, 2016.

The acclaimed documentary premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

Filmmaker Will Allen said he was happy that communities will get to experience Holy Hell in theatres together.

“This story is very personal but also universal, because it could have happened to anyone. And seeing how broadly it resonated at Sundance makes me excited to share it with the rest of the world,” the director said.

The film is an inside look at a secretive, spiritual cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s. Allen joined the group just after graduating from film school and as he became more deeply involved, he began filming his experiences as the group’s unofficial videographer.

It wasn’t until Allen left the cult that he understood the film he’d been making for over 20 years. Working with producers Alexandra Johnes and ex-cult member Tracey Harnish, Allen decided to use his footage to take others on his journey.

Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise, described the film as “gripping” and said he was “elated to be bringing it to audiences.”

“Ultimately this is a remarkable film about the human condition, and I am confident that audiences will be engrossed by this captivating story, told by those who lived it,” he added.

Holy Hell is executive produced by Michael C. Donaldson, Cheryl Sanders, Julian Goldstein and Academy Award-winner Jared Leto, who describes the film as “relentless, haunting and unforgettable.”

Check out Allen discussing the film below…

Featurette – Meet the Artists for Holy Hell on TrailerAddict.