The Vow: Inside the NXIVM Cult

It started as a self-improvement program. It ended with a leader behind bars. The Vow follows how NXIVM drew in thousands of followers, and how some of its most devoted members found the nerve to walk away.

This HBO docuseries comes from filmmakers Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer, and it was shot over years from the inside. Early on, former members Mark Vicente and Sarah Edmondson were still part of the group. Vicente was a filmmaker who had been documenting the organization himself. The cameras were there as the doubts began, and that access is what sets the series apart.

NXIVM was run by Keith Raniere, who was convicted in 2019 on federal charges that included racketeering and sex trafficking, and later sentenced to 120 years in prison. Actress Allison Mack, a prominent member, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to three years. The series centers on a secret subgroup inside the organization, where members say they were pressured to hand over personal material as so-called collateral. The Vow asks how smart, accomplished people ended up so deeply committed, and what it takes to break that grip.

The story did not stop when the cameras did. The series ran for two seasons, and the legal fallout kept going well after it aired. Many of the people who spoke out are still fighting to rebuild their lives.

Start it tonight. Check the current streamer and find where to stream The Vow.