Review of The Way Down

This documentary series is very poorly edited, meaning its three episodes are at once wide-ranging and superficial and bitty, perhaps because the makers felt the need to rush its release following the crash that killed the leader (and a number of her lapdogs) perhaps because it lacked the backbone of proper investigative journalism. Hearing from the survivors and family members of those still involved was moving and enlightening. The experts on cults and the law should have been given more time or more specifics to comment on in order to bring together the survivors' stories of systemic abuse and isolating practices into something more cogent. The soundtrack added to the confused and amateurish feeling; surely expensive yet comes across cheap and childish. All in all it feels as if the brave survivors and families featured deserved better from the 'church' and, unfortunately, better from the makers of the programme. Hopefully, however, it may still open some peoples eyes to the dangers of this and other cults.