Cult

Cult

Year: 2013

Runtime: 84 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Koji Shiraishi

FantasyHorror

A television show focuses on three female idols investigating a reported exorcism. The exorcist, Unsui, possessing psychic abilities, believes the Kaneda family is afflicted by a formidable demon that requires assistance to banish. He calls upon a colleague, and a ghost hunter joins the investigation, leading the idols to witness increasingly disturbing and frightening occurrences.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Cult (2013)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Cult (2013). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

The story unfolds in modern times, within a suburban home and its immediate surroundings. A televised paranormal investigation introduces contemporary media dynamics—cameras, a production crew, and audience expectations—into a haunting that escalates through the night. Rituals and exorcisms occur in real time, highlighting the clash between belief and spectacle.

Location

The house in a suburban neighborhood

A single-family home becomes ground zero for escalating supernatural activity. The house is the central location for the family’s experience, the TV crew's investigations, and a series of purification rituals. The impure energy surrounding the home drives increasingly disturbing events and a shocking revelation about the house's past.

🏚️ Haunted 👻 Paranormal 🕯️ Rituals 🧭 Cult Activity

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:05

Main Characters – Cult (2013)

Meet the key characters of Cult (2013), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Tomoe Kaneda (Sayuri Oyamada)

A housewife whose warm front masks involvement with a spiritual cult that abducted Miho. Not Miho's biological mother, she is a deceitful figure whose true allegiance lies with the cult. Her role becomes central to the reveal of the house’s dark past.

👤 Manipulative 🧭 Cult Member 🗝️ Deceptive

Miho Kaneda (Natsumi Okamoto)

A 15-year-old girl who becomes the focus of the haunting and falls under the control of an evil spirit. Her trance and possession drive the investigation and endanger her family. She is both a victim and a vessel for the cult's plans.

👧 Teen 👻 Possession 🗝️ Victim

Neo (Ryosuke Miura)

A freelance exorcist who joins the group to confront the haunting. He uncovers that the neighbors cursed the house and battles exhaustion during the exorcism as the case grows darker. He represents a stubborn, determined force against the spirit.

🧭 Exorcist 🗡️ Protagonist 💪 Resilient

Ryugen (Hajime Inoue)

A senior exorcist who conducts rituals to purge the evil. He is ultimately killed by the spirit after a shift in the exorcism’s balance. His leadership and ritual expertise are pivotal to uncovering Miho's possession.

🛡️ Leader 🗡️ Exorcist 💔 Tragic

Unsui (Shigehiro Yamaguchi)

A Buddhist priest who attempts multiple purification rites. He is overcome by the spirit during the exorcism and dies soon after, highlighting the peril inherent in confronting immense evil.

🙏 Priest 🕊️ Sacrifice 🧭 Purification

Yū Abiru (Herself)

One of the actresses appearing as herself on the paranormal TV show. She participates in the investigation, bringing screen presence to the case while the haunting intensifies around her.

🎭 Actress 🗣️ Media 🌟 Cameo

Mayuko Iwasa (Herself)

One of the actresses appearing as herself on the paranormal TV show. She is part of the show's dynamic, contributing to the sense of spectacle surrounding the investigation.

🎭 Actress 🎬 TV 🌟 Cameo

Mari Iriki (Herself)

An actress playing herself who becomes unsettled by the situation and ultimately quits the show. She later reveals a startling power, using telekinesis to crush her boss and declaring that her god is coming.

🎭 Actress ⚡ Telekinesis 🌒 Revelation

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:05

Major Themes – Cult (2013)

Explore the central themes of Cult (2013), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👁️ Possession

Miho is seized by an evil spirit that manipulates her body and mind, driving a sequence of dangerous events. The possession escalates as exorcists attempt to purify the house, revealing how vulnerability and fear can crumble a family. The haunting threads through teen adolescence, family trust, and the limits of ritual power.

🕯️ Cult Interference

A spiritual cult is linked to the home and abducts Miho, with Tomoe acting as a deceptive conduit. The neighbors' curses and the cult's ambitions reveal a darker history that taints the investigation. The revelations reframe the haunting as a calculated intrusion rather than a random haunting.

📺 Media Intrusion

A paranormal TV crew turns a terrifying event into a spectacle, blurring the line between truth and entertainment. The actors playing themselves bring personal stakes to the case, and one member stages a dramatic break with the show. The media apparatus amplifies danger and hastens the confrontation with the cult.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:05

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Reality TV Horror Movies like Cult

Stories where filming a documentary becomes a terrifying confrontation with the paranormal.If you liked the meta-horror of 'Cult', where a TV crew investigates the supernatural only to become part of the story, you'll find more chilling experiences here. This collection features movies like 'Noroi: The Curse', 'Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum', and 'The Blair Witch Project', where the act of filming becomes a terrifying fight for survival.

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Narrative Summary

Films in this thread typically follow a crew investigating a paranormal claim or urban legend. The narrative unfolds through their lens, starting with skepticism and building evidence before a sudden, violent shift into genuine peril. The story structure is often defined by the loss of control and the collapse of the 'fourth wall' as the characters become the subject of their own horror story.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their unique presentation style and core premise. They share a tense, found-footage aesthetic, a sense of voyeuristic dread, and a narrative that questions the nature of reality through the lens of a camera. The experience is immersive and feels unnervingly authentic.

Cult Conspiracy Horror Movies like Cult

Horror stories where a simple investigation uncovers a vast, apocalyptic cult plot.Fans of 'Cult' who enjoyed the twist from a family possession to a wider cult conspiracy will find similar dread-filled narratives here. Discover movies like 'The Empty Man', 'The Wicker Man', and 'Kill List', where uncovering a dark secret society leads to a terrifying and bleak conclusion.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist or group investigating a localized strange event. As they dig deeper, they discover the event is a deliberate act by a hidden cult with ambitions far beyond their understanding, often involving ancient gods or apocalyptic rituals. The journey is one of escalating dread and revelation, culminating in a confrontation with a power they cannot defeat.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a specific narrative arc that expands the scope of horror from the personal to the cosmic. They are united by themes of hidden organizations, psychological manipulation, ancient evils, and overwhelmingly bleak endings where the evil force proves too powerful to overcome.

Unlock the Full Story of Cult

Don't stop at just watching — explore Cult in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Cult is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Cult Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Cult, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Cult Summary

Cult Timeline

Track the full timeline of Cult with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Cult Timeline

Cult Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Cult that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Cult Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Cult

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Cult: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Cult