In 1985, recent film school graduate Will Allen became a member of The Buddhafield, a Los Angeles area spiritual group. Also acting as the group’s official videographer, he began to document their activities, which centered on the mysterious leader they called Michel, or The Teacher. Over time, the group’s dark side began to surface as total devotion turned to paranoia, until finally, unexpected truths about their enlightened leader were revealed–all in front of Allen’s camera. This incredible, 22-year archive of video footage became the basis for Holy Hell.

What begins as a video memoir evolves into a much larger portrait of betrayal, grief and healing. – Paste Magazine

Like watching a takedown of Hitler by a disillusioned Leni Reifenstahl, what emerges is one of the decade’s strangest and most unsettling documentaries, especially given its as-yet-unwritten ending. – Variety

Holy Hell, raw and anguished, is not just a story about a terrible breach of trust, but one of loss, its creator mourning the relationships he had. – Buzzfeed

*Groupons and passes OK! Please redeem at the door.
*Must be 19+ w/ID for entry and bar service.

HOLY HELL (William Francesco Allen, 100 mins / 2016) An inside look at a West Hollywood cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s that eventually imploded.